A Home For Hanyos
by Felan Lupus
Summary: "He didn't mean it, okay! It was an accident!" "No one should hurt you!" Things are wild again and it's hitting a bit to close to home. Find out what one little kid has to do with InuYasha and Kagome's daughter's world getting turned upside down. They need to figure it out, before someone ends up dead. *Discontinued.*
1. Chapter 1

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

" _You're sure we should be doing this? In_ -" A young man, around twenty-four or twenty-five with dark auburn hair and a faint asked in Japanese, his dark green eyes looking up at the small dismal building in front of him as his companion took a small breath in irritation. In front of him was a small abandoned house that was hidden away so well that they would have missed it if it weren't for the fact they were looking for something like it. As it was, it was surrounded by overgrown grass and more than a few of the windows were bordered up, the house looked as if it had never been painted, with the only color on the dark grey house being the dark brown door and dingy chipped yellow doorknob.

" _Yes Shippo, I'm sure. Besides, InuYasha did want to know about our neighbors_." The young girl around eighteen said in the same language as she stormed up the broken steps and banged on the door, making Shippo shake his head. The girl was Japanese and had an older air about her. She had long dark brown hair and bright brown eyes that were almost light enough to be considered amber in the right light. Around her neck was a simple chain necklace with a small disc made from some type of metal with the symbols for black and white as well as for dog. She also wore a simple faded green hoodie over a pair of skin tight jeans and old combat boots. Shippo, on the other hand wore a simple button up shirt that was decorated in blue plaid with the sleeves rolled up and the top three buttons undone to show the white shirt underneath, he also wore a pair of thick light blue pants that stopped just at his simple brown work boots. Around his neck was a similar necklace, though the round pendent the symbols of a fox and a white dog. Looking at the two, no one would guess they were even related, much less siblings.

" _Akari, maybe you shouldn't_ -" Shippo started and winced when the girl turned to glare at him. " _Or you know you could just continue that_." He said hastily and waved his hands in front of him as the door creaked open a bit.

"Can I help you?" A young voice asked with a touch of hostility and both people looked down at the small pale figure glaring up at them with even stranger eyes. The child looked to be around eleven and had smudges of dirt on their face as well as a small dirty band aid on their left cheek that was starting to come off around the edges. They had short messy dark brown, almost black hair that was sticking up in all directions and was surprisingly pale. They wore a wrinkled red shirt that was a size to big along with a pair of ratty cut off jeans that showed small scratches on their legs. The child's eyes were a strange hazel color, with the outer edges a dark blue surrounding a faded leaf green with the pupils surrounded by a red brown. None of the colors seemed to mix but at the same time they seemed to blend together. "If you're looking for the town, it's that way." The kid went on to say, pointing in a Northern direction, and Akari noticed for the first time the child didn't have the same thick Southern accent that she had learned to associate with the area.

"Alright, we just came by to get to know who our neighbors were and to introduce ourselves." Shippo said with a friendly smile, walking up onto the porch before Akari could do something stupid. "My name's Shippo, and this is my younger sister Akari. We live on the old plantation a few miles from here. It's nice to meet you...?" Shippo trailed off, looking at the child in hopes of them telling the siblings their name.

"None of your business. I suggest you leave before something happens." The child said calmly, making the siblings tense up at what they perceived as a threat. "There's been a wild animal attacking lately." The kid added, ignoring their tense postures as they looked up at Akari, their eyes narrowing slightly in confusion before they darted over to Shippo and did the same.

"It's fine, we can handle ourselves." Shippo said with a smug look as he tried to make his skinny arms look buffed up.

"What kind of animal?" Akari asked, rolling her eyes at her brother's actions while trying to see if she could learn anything useful.

"...dunno. Whatever it is, it comes out at random so get out of here." The kid said, suddenly seeming on edge. Before Akari or Shippo could ask anything more the child slammed the door shut in their face.

" _That could have gone better_." Shippo said in the silence that followed, his sensitive ears straining to hear any sound coming from inside the house as he shockingly noted how Akari had not gone off the handle.

" _You could say that_." Akari said obviously distracted as she walked off the porch lost in thought and started towards the surrounding woods. " _So much for being neighborly_." Akari grunted as she jumped up into the trees and started heading in the direction of where Shippo had parked his used Chevy roughly five miles away.

" _Don't worry about it_ ," Shippo said, as he followed her, leaping easily from branch to branch with a grace that spoke of years of practice and use. " _I mean, we did just randomly show up and bang on their door_." He said as they reached his truck and got in. Akari didn't answer, instead choosing to look out the window as Shippo drove back to their current house, an old but large plantation house with plenty of land around it. InuYasha had bought it with Sesshoumaru's help and had moved in shortly after, cleaning up the place and modifying it with a demon's touch.

" _We're back!_ " Shippo yelled as he parked his truck in front of the old house and hopped out, catching sight of one of his younger brothers as he ran around the house at full speed with something in his hands.

" _Shippo!_ " Masaru, a young boy of with short brown hair and dark violet eyes, yelled happily and tackled his brother to the ground, trying to wrestle the older boy into a headlock only to end up getting a mouth full of acorns. As this happened, the image of the dark haired boy vanished and was replaced by white hair -with a lock of black- and gold eyes that were narrowed in anger.

" _Ha! Take that! Thought you could take me?The Great! The Amazing! Th-_ " Shippo bragged only to get knocked to the ground with a bump on his head.

" _The annoying brat that forgot to get groceries._ " InuYasha said in annoyance as he crossed his arms and looked over at his eldest daughter. " _You okay?_ " He asked Akari in Japanese, noting how his eldest daughter seemed lost in thought.

" _Yeah, just thinking about something._ " Akari told him as she shut the truck door with a loud slam and jogged inside.

" _So? Are there any kids my age around here? I mean not like my actual age but that would be really cool! And then I wouldn't have to hold back if we sparred and-_ " Masaru rambled before Shippo stopped him with a sigh.

" _The neighbors are alright, I mean the closest one is a few miles from here and they seem to not like strangers so we probably won't have to worry about them much._ " Shippo said with a shrug before his eyes were drawn to the running form of his sister as she shot past him.

" _Oi! Where are you going?_ " InuYasha yelled and growled under his breath when the girl didn't answer him and instead vanished from sight. Before InuYasha could go after her two of the younger pups ran outside and tackled him.

" _Otou/Ojii_!" The two children yelled happily. InuYasha laughed as he picked up the two hanyos running towards him, before the male one wiggled out of his arms.

" _Play with us!_ " The more energetic of the two, a small half Japanese, half Latino cat hanyo girl named Ami with pale hazel eyes and dark brown hair around seven, yelled, her little pointed cat ears peeking out of her thick hair like two pale cream colored nubs. Without waiting for a reply she climbed up onto his chest and moved to stare him in the eye, both of their noses touching as they looked each other in the eye. Just as quickly as she appeared, she kissed his nose and jumped off with a laugh, running over to Shippo and climbing up onto the older boy's back. Ami was technically a ward of Souta and Rin's but was staying with InuYasha and Kagome so Souta could help an old physic named Genkia find a new apprentice she would pass on her knowledge to, and so Rin could look more into the Higurashi line and the younger versions of her mate and his older sister since the well would be reopening soon.

" _Ano, Otou where did onee-chan go?_ " The second child, a small water hanyo, asked ignoring Ami's actions as he looked the direction his oldest sister had run, his face in a frown as his strange blue eyes narrowed in thought. InuYasha ruffled the boy's red hair, uncovering his pointed ears and drawing a fanged smile from the boy.

" _Probably out for a run. She'll be back,_ Celt." InuYasha told his adopted son that had come from Ireland. They had found the small ten year old half water demon on a trip after he had tried to steal InuYasha's wallet, and had decided to give the boy a home with them. It wasn't until recently that they realized he had the same life span as a human, though he seemed to have inherited majority of his other demon qualities.

"... _okay._ " Celt said after a minute of thought. It still amazed InuYasha how fast the Irish born boy had picked up Japanese, but Kagome said it was because he was a natural genius and could easily pick up any language if he wanted. InuYasha thought it was just because he wanted to know what everyone was talking about.

" _InuYasha!_ " Kagome called out, walking out of the house with the youngest addition to their large and spread out family on her hip and their two twin daughters Keade -who looked just like her mother with puppy ears and was the oldest by three minutes- and Izayoi -who looked just like her father in his half demon form- trailing close behind and arguing once more. " _You and the boys run to town and get groceries. I want to cook something, instead of going another night with Ramen._ " Kagome said as she adjusted a small bat hanyo named Emily on her hip. Emily had actually been adopted by Kagome's own adopted brother Kohaku and his mate Shiori, the later being a half bat demon much like Emily. Unlike most Hanyo though, Emily was also the only one the family knew of that had lived and known both parents before they passed on, her mother leaving custody to Kohaku and Shiori a day before she lost her battle with cancer, while her father had been shot to death protecting Emily several months before. Emily also resembled Shiori after going through the blood adoption unlike her two older brothers, Jun and Toya who instead seemed to have inherited Kohaku's happy personality and sharp mind. Right now, Kagome had her four year old niece dressed in a special sleeveless dress that was enchanted by a thread demon to keep the child from burning to easily and was more resistant to staining than most clothing made by humans.

" _Damn woman! Ramen is the Kami of all food!_ " InuYasha scoffed while setting Celt down on his feet but none the less walked over to his bright red jeep with Masaru and Shippo following, Ami still clinging to her favorite 'big brother'. " _You coming Celt?_ " InuYasha called over his shoulder as the young boy jogged over to the house.

" _No, I'm going after Akari!_ " Celt called and dashed inside making InuYasha shake his head.

" _You better leave your sister alone! And be careful! I don't want to have to come look for you, you here me?_ " InuYasha yelled and was rewarded by seeing the boy -now human- jump out of a second story window with a grin and slide off the roof before bouncing off the roof of Shippo's truck and landing on the ground with a flip. Any normal family would have freaked out, but with InuYasha's little pack it was a normal occurance to see any of the kids -minus Emily and Ami- jumping out of the higher windows and roofs. Many people they met actually asked them if they did professional parkour and had even asked InuYasha to teach them after seeing what he could do.

" _Yes sir!_ My English is exquisite, is it not?" Celt said making InuYasha roll his eyes at the sarcastic boy while Kagome fixed his favorite blue oriental shirt and brushed his messy, now blond, hair down.

"Just be careful." Kagome said in English and gave the boy a quick kiss before he was running off, following the direction of his sister.

...

* * *

 **Descriptions of the pack! Each one is in order of age!**

Shippo - Fox Demon

Status : Male Beta in InuYasha's Pack

Appearance : The same as when he was a kid though he has short hair and he's a couple inches shorter than InuYasha. He's thin but covered in muscle and looks about twenty-four or twenty-five. ((He was 80 when he was adopted -going off of wiki- so 500 years later I say he looks to be in his early twenties.))

Human appearance : For the most part he's the same, though he has dark auburn hair and dark green eyes.

Akari - Black Dog Hanyo

Status : Female Beta in InuYasha's Pack, last of the main branch in Kuro Clan (Meaning she's the Heir of another Clan if she doesn't appoint someone when she comes of age. Setsuna currently controls it in her place.)

Appearance : The same as before though her eyes have more blue than before. Stands about the same height as Kagome and has the same build as Sango. Looks around the same age as Shippo without her charm but with the charm she looks around eighteen. ((She was ten when she was adopted and slowed down aging.))

Human Appearance : Long dark brown hair and bright brown eyes that turn a faint shade of amber whenever she get's aggravated or upset regardless of the charm.

Masaru - Dog Hanyo

Status : Second Born Son, keeps an eye on the pups of the pack

Appearance : White hair -with a lock of black- and gold eyes, fangs, claws, and kind of scrawny but has muscle from all the sports and training he does. Looks around eighteen and is a genius. ((He's actually eleven years younger than Akari.))

Human Appearance : Short brown hair and dark violet eyes, looks like a young InuYasha, and stands a few inches shorter than Kagome.

Keade -Dog Hanyo

Status : Third born, Izayoi's twin

Appearance : Looks like Kagome with puppy ears that don't quiet stand up yet, fangs, claws, and has brown amber eyes. Unlike her twin though, she keeps her hair long rather than short and hates to have it cut. Looks around thirteen and is older than Izayoi by three minutes. ((The twins are only about six years younger than Masaru.))

Human Appearance : She ironically looks like a young Sango, and Kagome has often wondered whether the twins are perhaps the reincarnations of Sango's own two girls, Amaya and Yuki. Both having resembled their mother greatly.

Izayoi - Dog Hanyo

Status : Fourth born, Keade's twin

Appearance : Looks a lot like InuYasha but has pale amber eyes and short hair that reaches just past her chin.

Human Appearance : Identical to Keade whenever human, the only difference they have is their hair style and personalities.

Celt - A Water Hanyo

Status : Third son, member of InuYasha's pack

Appearance : Red hair, pointed ears, vivid blue eyes and fangs. Unlike the others Celt has the same life span of a human. He's ten years old. He's fit and by the time he's past puberty will be the hottest boy of his year due to his desire to be strong like his 'big sis Akari'.

Human Appearance : Ironically his human appearance has very little in common with his hanyo one. He has messy blond hair, and pale blue eyes.

Ami - Cat Hanyo

Status : Member of Sesshoumaru's pack, staying with InuYasha's pack while parents (Souta and Rin) are away.

Appearance : Half Japanese, half Latino, pale hazel eyes, dark brown hair, pale cream colored ears, claws, and fangs.

Human Appearance : Still half Japanese, Half Latino, dark brown eyes, brown hair. She's seven and will slow down aging around puberty.

Emily - Bat Hanyo

Status : Member of Kohaku and Shiori's 'colony', staying with InuYasha while parent's are away.

Appearance : Looks like a very pale white Shiori but is very adventurous

Human Appearance : Pale blond hair, faded green eyes. She tends to burn easily so she wears special clothing made by a thread demon in Brazil. She's four, her aging will slow down around her twentieth year.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticsms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

Akari's ears perked up at the sound of movement in one of the lockers nearby. She looked around to see if anybody else had noticed it but the hallway of the small high school was empty save for her. " _Great,_ " she muttered to herself while following the sound of scratching until she stopped in front of a narrow putrid green locker that sported a variety of dents with one of the bigger ones being right over the lock which had a combination lock wedged into it.

"Someone in there?" Akari asked in English and immediately the movement stopped and the half demon girl could feel a set of eyes on her. "Look, if you want to stay in there it isn't any of my business but I have class to get to so hurry up." Akari snapped and pulled the opened lock off of the door, stuffing it into her jacket pocket before yanking the door open. She looked at the small kid sitting in the cramped locker and had to bite back a growl as she looked at the busted lip and black eye the kid sported as they glared at her. Without a word, the familiar girl shoved past Akari with a tattered notebook in one hand and stub for a pencil in the other.

"No thanks?" Akari called out, and muttered a curse under her breath in Japanese when her reclusive neighbor turned her head back to glare at Akari with her strange eyes.

"Whatever, you're probably going to be the next one that shoves me in a locker anyway so why bother?" The kid asked as Akari took in the girl's baggy black pants held up by an old cloth belt and a simple dark green t-shirt with a navy blue jacket that seemed a size to big on her.

"Go to the nurse and get cleaned up." Akari said as she walked over to the smaller girl and looked down at her.

"Don't need to." The girl snapped and clenched her hands around her notebook while glaring at the floor. "What's your class anyway?" She asked and waited impatiently for Akari to pull her class schedule free of her navy blue back pack that her friend Miyoko had designed for her before she had left Japan the two weeks before.

"I have AP Literature with a Ms. Shay?" Akari said, frowning at the list in front of her before it was rudely snatched out of her hands and glanced over by the smaller girl. After a few seconds it was returned and the small girl turned away.

"Follow me," was all the girl said before breezing down the empty hallway in a determined stride.

"So what's your name?" Akari decided to ask as she followed the girl through a small, nearly hidden, hallway and into another hallway.

"Around here most of the kids call me Freak. You'll do the same in a day or two." She said in an offhand manner that made Akari frown in annoyance.

"I said your name, not what they call you." She growled, causing the girl to pause and turn her head to look back at Akari with wary eyes.

"What's the difference?" The girl asked in a monotone before turning back around. "This is the class." She said and opened the door, leaving Akari to enter on her own as the girl slipped inside and seemed to vanish to the back of the class.

"Detention!" The teacher, a stern looking woman that Akari absently noted looked like the woman from Harry Potter, McGonagall? "You must be Miss...?" Ms. Shay said, looking down at her paper with a frown as Akari moved into the classroom with ease, ignoring the stares around her as she walked up to the desk in the far back.

"Higurashi Akari," Akari introduced herself, biting back a small smirk when the woman frowned before looking around the classroom.

"You may sit in the back. Here are a set of rules, I expect them to be followed. If not you will have detention with me everyday until you do." Ms. Shay said and Akari had to bite her tongue to keep herself from growling as the woman glared at her. Akari turned around and moved to the back of the class where she could see her little neighbor had sat down and appeared to be asleep.

" _Damn Baka, she is nothing like that Professor woman from Shippo's stupid books. Oh great, she discussing Hamlet. Kami-sama help me!_ " Akari thought to herself in Japanese as she groaned softly and put her head down.

"Miss Cohen! Perhaps you can tell us what Hamlet meant in his, "To be or not to be," speech? Since you seem so keen on sleeping through my class?" Ms. Shay asked the small girl sitting next to Akari, watching as she tensed underneath the sharp gaze.

"...He was thinking about death?" The small girl said reluctantly and Akari noticed that several students were openly glaring at the girl with looks she recognized from her own youth.

"Yes, but can you explain it in more intellectual terms? This is not an elementary class after all." Ms. Shay said slyly, making a few kids snicker around the classroom as Akari's anger bubbled up. Without missing a beat, Akari stood up and began to speak, her smirk growing with each word though she had to fight to not let it show.

"Hamlet is basically contemplating suicide on and off throughout his story. In this part of the story, he compares death to a little sleep, which he thinks wouldn't be so bad. Of course, we'd escape a lot by being dead, like being spurned in love. This is that whole "slings and arrows" bit is all about. He's saying being in love is like being hit with thousands of arrows because it hurts so much. Plus Hamlet feels betrayed by his mom because she married so soon after his dad's death. And to his dad's murderer no less. Should I continue?" Akari asked, pausing in her little speech at the look of dumb shock on the teacher's face.

"No, Miss Hidge-ur-washi, that will do for today." Ms. Shay said through clenched teeth but before she could add more Akari frowned, there was no way she was letting that slide. No one insulted the Higurashi name and got away with it.

"It's Higurashi by the way. If you are to continue to teach I suggest acting like you actually have something of an educational decree and learning pronunciation. Otherwise, well let's just say I'd hate to see you go." Akari told the teacher in her best smart-ass tone, stunning the class into silence before whispers broke out and the bell rang.

"Detention Miss Higurashi! Class I expect a full two page essay on Hamlet's speech due in two days. Dismissed!" Ms. Shay snapped, clearly unnerved if Akari were to go off her scent alone. The Kuro Hanyo sighed before standing up with her bag, preparing to move down the aisle when she was suddenly shoved to the side as her neighbor, who she still didn't know the first name of, rushed past her with her head bent down. Akari frowned in confusion before shaking it off to head to her next class, one she knew Masaru would be in with her.

"Akari! _Rumor has it you threatened a teacher._ " Masaru called out, jogging over to his older sister and switching to Japanese.

" _Who me? Why I never!_ " Akari mocked with fake innocence as Masaru started to laugh loudly, ignoring the strange looks both were getting from the students around them.

" _Don't let Kaa-san hear you, otherwise you'll be stuck cleaning house. Or worse!_ " Masaru laughed as they both went to their next class. " _Ano, Shippo is so lucky!_ " Masaru whined, throwing his arms back behind his head to support his head as he looked up, letting his dark brown hair fall in his violet eyes.

" _So you'd rather be helping Shippo and Otou-san work on architecture and construction?_ " Akari asked her younger brother, making him hum in thought before the hum turned into an annoying tune that made Akari smack her brother.

" _Ah! Ow! I'll tell Kaa-san on you!_ " Masaru yelled as Akari continued to pummel him, both ignoring the gawking students around them.

" _Oh shut up! I've hit you harder in training!_ " Akari snapped before taking the front of his favorite blue 'Victory' sweater and dragging him off to class. Choosing to ignore the smirk and flirts he sent to most of the girls watching. Kagome was right, Masaru was really starting to become a mini Miroku.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Noon brought the end of the school day for Akari and brought it with a mix of elation to be out of the stuffy building, and disappointment at having homework. Lucky for Akari, Masaru had decided to stay after to play football and hopefully earn a spot on the team, leaving the half Kuro to drive home on her own since the little ones didn't get out for another few hours.

"Just leave me alone!" Akari heard as she walked to Shippo's truck, having borrowed the vehicle when she noticed he wasn't using it. Immediately, Akari recognized the voice as belonging to the Cohen girl and followed it towards a well hidden area behind the cafeteria.

"Or what? Stupid freak like you ain't gonna do nothing!" A boy laughed cruelly, his Southern drawl as thick as his stupidity. Akari peeked around the corner to see a typical farm boy dressed in a Polo shirt and nice jeans standing over a much smaller girl while a few of his equally dumb friends watched, while passing around a pack of cigarettes.

"Shut up Brian! And give me back my stuff!" The smaller girl, who barely even came up to his chest, yelled back at him, making the cronies 'ooh' while Brian lifted up a torn blue back pack covered in stains.

"This? But trash belongs in the garbage!" Brian said with mock sincerity then with a hateful grin he tossed the bag over the fenced in dumpster, making his friends laugh while the girl looked at him with anger and disbelief.

"You! You!" She growled and Akari was stopped from stepping forward when she felt a building wave of malicious yokia.

"What? Going to go cry to your mommy?" Brian asked, making a crying face as his friends laughed and threw their own jeers. "Oh that's right, you don't have one. Do you?" Brian asked with cruelty in his eyes as he smiled down at the girl that had gone stiff. Akari's eyes widened as the building yokia suddenly snapped and the girl lunged forward.

"YOU COWARD!" She screamed and Akari immediately tried to move forward, her eyes having caught sight of a blade in the boy's hand while her brain was still trying to catch up with the events. Before she could get more than a few yards, Brian's friends joined the fight, pinning the bruised girl down and beating her more.

"What now freak? Nothing to say?" Brian spat as he laughed, only to have that laugh cut off as Akari grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, resting her hand against his neck. To everyone's eyes, it only looked as if Akari was pressing her fingers to Brian's neck but to the boy himself, he felt five sharp knives pressed against his skin.

" **All of you will get up and leave with your pathetic tails between your legs. Or I WILL kill you. One. By. One.** " Akari hissed, and pressed a little harder against Brian's neck, effectively scarring all the boys witless at the sight of blood on their leader's neck.

"O-Okay." Brian gasped in a shaking voice. Akari released him without another word and watched as all the boys took off running, yelling threats of their own once they thought they were far enough to be safe.

" _Ano,_ are you okay?" Akari asked softly once she was sure she had her emotions back under control. The smaller girl winced but nodded, her black eye swollen shut completely as she turned her head and spit out some blood while holding her bleeding arm close to her chest. Akari frowned, her eyes scanning over the tiny girl to assess her injuries before carefully grabbing the girl's arm.

"I'm fine," she muttered and stood up with a wince. "I've had worse." Akari heard her mutter with anger as she winced at the deep slash. The blade had been small, it had still left a deep enough cut that Akari was sure was going to need stitches.

"I'll take you to the hospital. That's going to need stitches" Akari said while standing up and helping the girl to her feet.

"NO! ...No, I'm fine. I just...have a fear of hospitals." The girl said, looking away from Akari and pulling her bleeding arm close, wrapping it in the navy blue jacket that she had around her waist.

"I'll give you a choice." Akari spoke up, making the girl pause and slowly look at her. "I won't take you to the hospital if you come back to my house so my mom can look at that." Akari said and waited for a response. As she did she noticed the wave of fatigue settle over the girl as the last of the malicious yokia drifted away.

"Ever heard of 'stranger danger'? I'm not stupid." The girl said with a touch of sarcasm and turned away, making Akari growl softly as she stomped over to the girl, inwardly ranting with her demon about stubbornness and pride, but ignoring it's comments on someone with similar traits.

"You're going to hurt yourself more if you don't stop being so stubborn!" Akari growled, grabbing the girl's shoulder and spinning her around before lifting the tiny girl bridal style.

"H-hey!" The stunned girl yelled and started trying to twist out of her position. "Put me down!" She yelled, beating on Akari with her good arm in another attempt to free herself.

"I will when I get to my brother's truck." Akari told the girl with a growl. Ignoring the girl's ranting she quickly made her way to Shippo's truck and -after childproofing the door- set the girl on the seat. "Buckle up or you'll end up with more bruises." Akari said cheerfully before dashing over to the driver's side.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

Thank you Danielle596 for your review!

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"I think I'm going to be sick." Akari heard her passenger mumble as she parked in the front yard and laughed. "I hate you, you know that?" The girl said with a glare just as Kagome came out of the house with Emily holding onto her skirt.

" _Akari! What have I told you about taking Shippo's truck and joy riding? You could have been in a wreck_!" Kagome fired off in rapid Japanese as Akari opened the passenger side door and helped a battered and bruised girl out of the truck. " _Take her to the kitchen. There's food on the counter_. Emily, can you go get my First-Aid box? The one with the pretty red cross on it?" Kagome asked after taking one look at Akari and her companion, switching between Japanese and English while Akari dragged an arguing child to the kitchen.

"So what happened?" Kagome asked as Emily darted away to go find the first aid kit.

"Nothing happened! She won't let me go home!" The girl snapped angrily, as she was placed down on a bar stool in front of Kagome.

"A few assholes decided it'd be fun to pick a fight in the middle of nowhere. Not sure what happened exactly but they all ran after I showed up." Akari said in an explanation, ignoring the glare the girl gave her. Kagome gave Akari a look, knowing her daughter was leaving out a lot of information.

"I see," Kagome said before looking at the smaller girl while the girl fidgeted in place. "Why don't you follow me to the bathroom so I can look at those bruises and that lip?" Kagome asked and started towards the hallway that led to the stairs and living room as well as the downstairs bedroom and bathroom.

"Look, I'm fine. It's just a few bruises and a cut. I'm sor-" The girl tried to say, hoping to avoid Kagome's mothering but Kagome was stubborn, especially when it came to injuries of any kind and treatment for them.

"Stop right there. You're going to stay right here until I say otherwise. Afterwards you're going to eat something and change into some clean clothes so I can wash your's." Kagome said in a strict, no non-sense voice. "Now, before we go any further my name is Kagome Higurashi and you are?" Kagome said with a smile and sat in front of the confused girl waiting for an answer. Akari had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she smiled at the sight. Leave it to Kagome to do something like this! Five hundred years and the woman had only improved her ways with stubborn kids, demon or not.

"...Dakota," the girl finally said and seemed to wait for something. Kagome nodded with a smile before clapping her hands together and looking over at Akari.

"Well Dakota, while Akari finds you something to wear follow me so I can take care of that." Kagome said, pointing at the crude bandage around Dakota's arm and turning to look over at Akari, who was nodded before moving past them and heading for the bedrooms upstairs, going past the living room and the downstairs master bedroom and library to do so.

"I really need to get ho-" Akari heard Dakota say followed by a quick reprimand from Kagome. Akari didn't waste any time finding an old plain dress of Keade's, folding it over one arm before turning around and nearly knocking Emily over.

" _Emily! Don't scare me like that! I didn't know you were in here_!" Akari exclaimed in Japanese while lifting the four year old up into her arms.

" _Why girl off_?" Emily asked in a broken Japanese, her question surprised Akari since Emily was usually shy around new people and tried to avoid them.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Okay?" Akari said with a smile before carrying Emily into her shared room with Ami, which was right across the hall from the twin's room. Setting Emily up with one of her favorite games, Akari wondered back downstairs, dropping the dress off at the bathroom before heading to the kitchen for something to eat.

An hour later Akari was sitting across from Dakota in the living room unsure of what to say or do since every time she went to speak she was either glared at or couldn't think of anything. Dakota was absently picking at the white bandage wrapped tightly around her arm, her eye unfocused as she looked lost in thought.

" _Oh fuck it all_!" Akari exclaimed in Japanese, making Dakota jump at her sudden outburst and glare at her. "My name is Higurashi Akari, I'm from Japan, I'm eighteen years old, and I have three brothers, two sisters, and two cousins living with me." Akari said rapidly, getting in Dakota's face with her introduction and making the smaller girl press herself into the back of the couch.

"...what?" Dakota said softly, her face a mix of confusion and irritation as she looked Akari in the eye.

"Introduce yourself." Akari commanded and made sure to keep her face neutral as she leaned back to look at the girl, taking in the small band aid on her lip and the cream on her black eye. She would bet anything, Kagome had even gotten the cream on the girl's bruised abdomen as well.

"Wha-why?!" Dakota spluttered, her face going red as she glared up at Akari. Akari's only response was to simply raise a brow and motion for her to start. "You're crazy." Dakota told her, trying to avoid looking at Akari but the taller girl was stubborn.

"Argh! Alright fine! My name is Dakota Cohen, I'm an only child, and I'm seventeen." She finally bit out, looking at Akari as if waiting for something.

"Seventeen?" Akari finally asked, looking the tiny girl up and down. "I thought you were eleven or something." Akari laughed and had to bite her lip to stop herself when Dakota stood up and glared up at her. The girl barely came up to her chest!

" _Akari! I have to run to town to get more groceries and pick up a package from Sesshoumaru. Will you watch Emily? I'm pretty sure she's asleep_." Kagome said, walking into the living room with a small notepad in one hand and a pen in the other, not noticing the impending argument she had entered.

" _Hai, I'll take care of it_." Akari said, earning a nod from Kagome before said women walked out of the room.

"Look, thanks for the help but I need to leave." Dakota said and stood up, without waiting for a response, she stormed past Akari and headed towards the door.

"Wait, your house is to far for you to walk." Akari started and followed only to pause when the girl turned to glare at her.

"I didn't ask for your help and I don't want it. Thanks now bye." Dakota snarled, her eyes flashing in anger as she glared up at Akari. Then before she could be stopped she was gone. Akari knew she should follow her but at the same time Dakota was determined to leave. Right now, she knew if she had any chance of getting close to the girl she had to let her leave, even if her instincts were telling her otherwise.

That didn't mean she couldn't follow to make sure Dakota got close to her home.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"This day couldn't get any worse!" I screamed silently as the feeling of being watched finally left. It returned a few minutes later when I looked up at the man standing a few feet away from me. He looked the same as always, black hair with touches of grey, a cheerful smile, his toned arms crossed over his chest with his typical ripped sleeve shirt and jeans hanging over his boots. To anyone else he looked like a typical man with a teenage taste of fashion, but to me Joseph helped to embody everything wrong with my life. He stood in the shadows of the porch, his dark green eyes watching me as I slowly approached the house.

"How was school?" He asked in a happy voice as I stopped at the steps of the porch and looked at him. He had a shadow of scruff on his face and looked like he hadn't eaten in a while but I knew that couldn't be true. "I asked you a question." He said in the same voice but I could hear the underlying warning in his voice.

"Fine, sir." I said softly, my former anger gone as confusion and uncertainty replaced it, as I looked down at the ground, watching the toe of my worn sneaker dig a trench into the dirt.

"I see, where did you get the outfit? I thought you didn't like dresses." He said and I felt my eyes widen as I looked at the pale blue dress I was wearing.

"My clothes got dirty and I was given this to wear until they were washed. It's only a loan." I told him softly, and listened as he hummed before sighing.

"Alright," he said after a minute, making my shoulders sag in relief. "Let's get dinner started." He said and I watched as his feet entered my field of vision before vanishing as he walked inside. I quickly followed him into the dark house, suppressing a chill as I entered and quickly slipped out of my shoes. Without saying a word, I darted to the small room in the back and opened my box of clothes. Carefully slipping out of the dress, I pulled on a worn pair of cut off jeans and my red shirt, choosing to leave my nicer blue jeans and black T-shirt for school the next day. Satisfied with my clothes I went to the kitchen to start cooking, blanching at the foul smell as I noticed the extra fresh ingredients on the table.

"A pig. A damn pig? He wants to eat pig then he can come clean it!" I thought with venom as I walked over to the surprisingly small animal. "This thing's probably not even full grown. Stupid idiot." I spat quietly as I grabbed one of our larger knives to start cleaning the kill, gagging the entire time.

After a few hours, I eased my way back to the kitchen to fix another plate. Heaping mashed potatoes, plain cabbage, and a few pieces of ham on a plate, I quietly made my way to the back room.

"Mom?" I called out in a whisper as I eased the door open. "I brought you something to eat. I know you probably don't want it, but that's okay." I told her as I slipped inside and closed the door, keeping my head down as I walked over the old brown carpet and to her bed.

"Who are you?" The woman in the bed asked and I took the chance to look up at her. Even in the dim moonlight I could still make out what color her eyes were, eyes that I was proud to share.

"It's me, Dakota." I told her, my voice cracking as I said it and I forced myself to laugh it off. "I brought you some-"

"You're His spawn." She suddenly snapped, making me freeze with my hands outstretched and the plate of food hovering between us. "Child of the Devil, get out!" She hissed, sitting up as she knocked the plate out of my hands and managed to latch onto my wrists at the same time.

"You may look human but you can't fool me! Not twice! That bastard handed you to me and told me you were mine! The liar! Bring me back my Dakota! You vile, loathsome, little changeling!" My mom snarled at me as she yanked me close and grabbed my hair with one hand while digging her dirty nails into my face. "My Dakota was beautiful, unlike you, you wretched thing! She loved me and didn't try to poison me! You want me to die, oh yes! I know your plan! But I'm a Cohen! I'm to smart for the likes of some dark little Satan spawn!" She cackled while digging her nails into my face and ripping out my hair.

"I'm human! Mo-" I tried to say only to have her slap me, her nails catching on my nose.

"Liar!" She hissed in my face as my eyes watered and she began pulling me towards the door with a strength I didn't know she had. "Get out of my house!" She snarled at me as she led me past her bedroom door and through the front door before she let go, allowing me to fall back on my backside before she slammed the door shut.

"I'm human...I swear I am." I whispered softly as I sat outside the front door, hoping she'd open it and let me back in. She didn't have to apologize or say anything, so long as she just opened the door.

"Get up!" A gruff voice said as something kicked my side and sent a flare of pain threw me, reminding me of my earlier fight. I coughed a bit as I got up, my eyes stinging and partly swollen shut from crying. "Move it." Joseph told me and started towards the trees without waiting for me. I dusted myself off before sluggishly following, my brain to muddled to think and my body hurting to much for me to fight.

"I must have fallen asleep. Ugh, I wish I still had that numb feeling, it's better then this pain." I thought with a wince as I rubbed my black eye by accident. It wasn't until I was completely surrounded by trees with nothing else in sight that I realized what was going on.

"Weak ass." Joseph suddenly said as he appeared in front of me and punched my jaw, sending me stumbling back a few feet before falling as he hit me again. I tried to bite my lip to keep myself from making any sound of pain as I slowly pushed myself to my feet, tears already burning at the corners of my eyes. Before I could dodge, he was suddenly there again, kicking me in the stomach and knocking me up into the air.

I tried to bite back the urge to puke as the wind was knocked out of me and I landed in a heap, luckily not breaking anything.

"Pathetic shit." Joseph spat at me as I lost my internal battle and puked a mix of blood and acid.

"At least this time I didn't eat." I thought weakly as I wiped my mouth and readied for more hits. I heard Joseph sigh before I felt his hand on the back of my neck, his fingers digging into the thin skin as he hauled me to my feet and looked me in the eye. He looked ready to kill, and honestly I couldn't decided if I was scared or not. "Fucking freak, monster like you doesn't deserve any kindness." He spat in my face, his breath a mix of alcohol and food that made me want to gag as he shook me hard enough for my head to pop.

"I'm human." I whispered without thought and cried out in pain when he slammed me into the ground and stomped on my hand, breaking it.

"Humans are sent to heaven. Demons like you belong in hell. I'll shatter every bone in your body until you realize this." He growled at me before tossing me into a nearby tree. I bit my tongue on impact and tasted blood as it filled my mouth and dribbled down my chin before I could spit it out.

"I hate you." I whispered pathetically as I watched Joseph approach, his dark boots slick with what I could only assume was a mix of dew and my blood.

"Shut up," Joseph spat before he stomped on my back. I bit into my arm to keep from screaming as he ground his boot into my; biting through the skin and deep into the muscle on my arm as I cried and tried to move away from him. "Now, show me your real colors, Monster!" He commanded and I shook my head slowly as I shook with sobs, my hand already purple and the size of a football.

"I'm. Human." I managed to spit out, even as I felt something build up inside me. It was the same feeling from earlier in the day. I wanted to scream out loud as I tried to curl into myself, the words I could barely understand in my head as I tried to ignore him.

" **Let me out! I'll kill him!** " The words yelled faintly as I tried to shove them away, and protect myself from any oncoming blows from Joseph.

"No. You're a half-breed. A monster!" He yelled at me, his voice piercing through my thoughts as something inside me snapped.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change (Back to original anyway) `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _So what really happened today_?" Kagome asked as she sat down on Akari's desk chair and looked over at the girl. " _As scary as you can be, I doubt those boys ran at the sight of you_." She added with a laugh as Akari smiled and stretched, her ears flicking up and down before she moved over to her bed and fell back on it. Unlike the other Pup's bedrooms, her's was rather simple. Walking into the room, the first thing that drew the eye, was the large window looking out over the back yard. To the left was her bed, a chest filled with her clothes, and her worn gloves ready to be grabbed at the slightest moment. On the opposite wall a few swords hung over her desk, and a door leading into the Japanese style bathroom she shared with Shippo.

" _I'm not that scary_." Akari muttered before shaking her head and folding her arms as she recalled what had happened that afternoon. " _When I was leaving, I heard arguing and went to see what was going on. When I got there I saw Dakota surrounded by a group of asshole. Before I could jump in one of them said something and I felt a strong flash of yokia. I jumped in when I saw the knife and managed to scare the idiot off but not before Dakota was pretty beat up. After that I scared the boys off by leaking a bit of my own yokia and grabbing their leader_." Akari told Kagome, her face confused while Kagome's was thoughtful as she mentally went over the information.

" _Do you think there was a demon nearby_?" Kagome asked after a few minutes of silence.

" _I don't know. Maybe. At first I thought it was Dakota I sensed but she seems completely human. It couldn't have been any of those boys because even a lower class would have revealed themselves when I released my own yokia_." Akari said with a sigh and Kagome frowned, both stayed like that for another ten minutes before InuYasha cautiously poked his head inside the door.

" _What'd you do Pup_?" He asked with a smirk while slipping into the room and easily catching the pillow thrown at him.

"I _didn't do anything_!" Akari said proudly as she smirked at InuYasha while Kagome stood up, giving him a quick kiss when she did so.

" _Sure, Pup_." InuYasha said with an eye roll while tossing the pillow back at her. " _Anyway, the younger pups are asleep. You ready for a patrol_?" InuYasha asked, wrapping an arm around Kagome as he looked over at Akari.

" _Yeah, we training after_?" Akari asked as she grabbed her favorite dark blue sweatpants and hoodie, a modern day version of her original navy blue haori from the Feudal Era, to change into quickly.

" _Yeah_." He told Akari as the girl darted into the shared bathroom between Shippo's room and her own to change." _I'll leave Masaru here tonight so you're not alone_." He told Kagome, who sighed in annoyance but nodded her head anyway. " _Let's go_." InuYasha said, giving Kagome another kiss just as Akari walked out of the bathroom ready to go.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticsms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

"Did you hear? Last night a couple of Mr. Larc's pigs got slaughtered! The pigs were all cut up like some animal got to them." Akari heard someone tell their friends as she walked past, heading to her locker. She frowned and trained her ears to listen for more but nothing else was said on the topic, making her want to growl in frustration.

"Masaru," Akari said in a low tone, earning a nod from her brother as he lazily swung his duffle bag of sports gear over his shoulder.

" _Already got it covered._ " He said with a lazy smirk before wondering off, leaving Akari to gather up her AP Language supplies before heading to the class with Dakota's stained bag in her free hand.

"Hmm, I see you decided to show up, Miss Higurashi." Ms. Shay said in a snotty voice as Akari walked into the empty class. "I knew this one would be a hooligan! Just like that Cohen girl." Akari heard the teacher mutter under her breath as Akari made her way to her desk.

"My...apologies for not showing up yesterday for detention. I had no desire to waste my time." Akari said with a cold look she had learned from Sesshoumaru before sitting down at her desk to wait for Dakota to show up.

"I see then." Ms. Shay said after a minute, her face puckered as if she had just eaten something sour. "Detention after school today. In the library." Ms. Shay said in a proud tone that made the hair on Akari's neck bristle up. It was going to be a long day.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _Oi! Onee-chan!_ " Akari heard Masaru call out from across the cafeteria, making Akari frown slightly as her younger brother jogged over to her table in the back, away from everyone and slightly more quiet.

" _Did you bring your bento?_ " Akari asked as the younger boy sat down with a grin and pulled out a medium sized box of food that could easily feed two people in answer to her question. Giving a quick thank you, Masaru popped open the lid and began inhaling his food, ignoring the disgusted look on Akari's face as she ate her own food.

" _So, I found out a little about those pigs._ " Masaru said between bites of rice and sushi, his head bowed over his food as he used his chopsticks to help him inhale food.

" _Don't talk with food in your mouth._ " Akari said as she lightly cuffed the boy's invisible ears making him frown but none the less do as he was told. " _Anyway, have you seen_ Dakota _?She wasn't here this morning._ " Akari asked, her bento currently forgotten as she scanned the cafeteria once more for the tiny girl.

" _She's the girl you took home yesterday, right? I haven't caught her scent anywhere._ " Masaru told Akari while reaching for a bite of her food when she wasn't looking. " _AYE!_ " Masaru cried as his hand was bent backwards, away from the open bento by Akari. " _I was only closing the lid! I swear!_ " Masaru whimpered as Akari gave him a deadpanned look before letting go and allowing the boy to rub his sore hand.

" _How does Hohen deal with you?_ " Masaru whined at his sister as she pinned him with a cold look. " _Never mind! Forget I spoke!_ " He yelped, waving his hands in front of him as he began to sweat nervously.

" _I thought so,_ " Akari said with a to sweet smile before taking a bit of her bento. " _Now, what did you find?_ " Akari asked and watched as a change came over her brother, gone was the miniature of Miroku and in his place was a serious young man that was good at gathering information and putting plans into action. Without responding he pulled out a small sketch pad from inside his ever present hoodie and opened it to a drawing of what Akari could vaguely recognize as a pig.

" _Some kind of creature attacked a man's pigs. And the attack lines up with the other ones that have been happening. Supposedly the owner heard something attacking his pigs late last night and when he went outside to see. He found two of them sliced while the other's had all rampaged into the barn. There are pictures of the pigs circulating through the school, hence how I was able to sketch one of them. From what I could see the pigs are whole._ " Masaru said with a frown before stopping to take a bite of food out of Akari's bento, Akari was to focused on the picture to care.

" _So whatever attacked the pigs did it for the kill. Not to eat._ " Akari said in summary and Masaru nodded.

" _Right, an animal wouldn't have done that._ " Masaru added after a minute and waited before saying more. " _The cuts aren't precise like a blade either, they're more like claws._ "

" _You're saying it was a demon._ " Akari said in a low tone.

" _Yeah, and from what I can tell it happened while you guys were on patrol last night._ " Masaru told her with a grave nod. Akari frowned down at her food, trying to figure out what kind of demon it could be.

" _Figure out the general attack area, see if there's a pattern. We'll talk to InuYasha and the other's about monitoring it._ " Akari commanded just as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Masaru nodded, quickly packing away his empty bento before darting off to find his class.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

The rest of the day passed in a mix of background noise and blurs, and by the time the final bell rang Akari was ready to just run the rest of the way home. Unfortunately, she still had to serve detention in the library till four, and the only reason she was doing it was because Kagome had texted her during class with a warning if she missed it.

"Are you here for detention?" An older man that reminded Akari of Grampa Higurashi with how old he was asked when she poked her head into the large dim room. The old man was mostly bald, with a small ring of white hair circling his head, and wrinkles with age spots covered his face. He held himself with confidence though Akari could see the small tremors in his hands as he pulled cards and stacked returned books.

"Yes sir," Akari said slowly and walked into the room, giving the man a small bow that made him smile before she moved over to a nearby table and set her bag on it.

"Ah, you must one of the Higurashi students. Rumor has it you're from Japan?" The man asked and Akari nodded, not sure where the conversation was going. "I'm Kichiro Mashima, from Okinawa myself, moved here in the fifties." He told her and Akari's eyes widened in surprise before a small smile settled on her face.

" _My apologies then, Mashima-san, if I have caused any offense to you or your family._ " Akari said with a slightly deeper bow, this one with more respect.

" _Maa, maa no harm Higurashi-san. I believe I owe you some thanks of my own._ " The old man said with a kind smile as he walked out from behind the book counter with the help of a cane.

" _What?_ " Akari asked in confusion, looking at the elderly man as he patted her shoulder and motioned for her to follow him.

" _It's been many years since I was able to speak my native tongue with someone._ " Mashima said kindly as he walked over to a bookshelf where a cart of books sat. " _Unfortunately, since you have detention with me for the week, you'll be stuck helping me here. Though, whenever you finish you may leave._ " Mashima told her and bowing his head walked back to his desk with his slow shuffle of a walk.

A week passed like that, with Akari and Masaru trying to learn more about the pig slaughter while InuYasha and the other's worked around town, learning bits and pieces of useless information. The only highlight was another attack in the nearby town that involved a man's cow running into the man's house with half of it's back missing and it's gut nearly torn out before dying a few minutes later.

It was a week after that anything else happened. Akari was spending her last day of detention playing Masaru's old handheld Nintendo while waiting on four o'clock when the old librarian tapped her on the shoulder.

" _No one will notice our absence. Now come, I believe you and I have much to discuss._ " Mashima told her and lead her behind a few shelves to an office door.

" _Mashima-san?_ " Akari asked as she was led into a small but neat office.

" _Just call me Kichiro-san, you are far older than I. Isn't that right, Higurashi-san?_ " Kichiro asked with a knowing look at Akari's confused face. " _I may be old but I still have my wits, few that they are._ " Kichiro laughed as he led Akari to the back office hidden in the library.

" _Mashima-san,_ " Akari started again, trying to figure everything out and at the same time possibly get out of a dangerous situation.

" _Bah! You are more of a threat to me than I to you, Demon-san. Young that you are but powerful, and part of two old and powerful Clans._ " Kichiro interrupted while pointing at the Concealment Charm hanging around her neck, showing the two clans she was part of. Akari dropped her 'confused teen' act and scowled at the man.

" _How do you know about me?_ " Akari asked as Kichiro as he moved around the desk and sat down heavily with a sigh.

" _My father was from a line of small priests. I wasn't blessed with his skill but I did learn to look for demons and the like. He taught me about a few of the older clans and told me how to protect myself from any demons in any form._ " Kichiro explained as he motioned for her to sit down while looking through a few papers on his desk. " _When I saw your necklace I thought I recognized the markings but wasn't sure until a few days ago when I found information on Concealment Charms in one of my father's journals. After that I was more certain._ " He added to the explanation.

" _That still doesn't explain why you wanted me._ " Akari told him and the old man nodded, not surprised at the underlying suspicion in Akari's tone, as well as the warning in it.

" _You know the attacks that have been plaguing the area?_ " Kichiro asked her and Akari stiffened slightly but gave no other indication she was surprised at the subject. " _I believe they're the results of a Kitsune from my youth. I do not know why he has returned, only that before he started his attacks the same way._ " Kichiro told her as he pulled out a few sheets of paper and focused his dark eyes on her.

" _What do you mean?_ " Akari asked, making the old man sigh in memory of something before he closed his eyes.

" _First it was simply cattle; killed but never eaten. Then a human victim would be found in the same state. At first just an undesirable that no one would miss, then back to cattle. Eventually a family...He stopped after that but we all knew that wasn't the end of it._ " He told Akari, the old man's eyes glazed over with old memories. " _I am the last of the elderly with my mind sane enough to remember those days._ " He said softly and straightened his shoulders with a huff before opening his eyes and putting the papers down.

" _I do not assume that you came to this area for the sole purpose of this demon, but I am thankful you have appeared at such a time. If you wish for more information, this is a book of everything I know and could recover. Please, help this foolish town._ " Kichiro begged as he pulled out a average sized book from his desk and passed it to her. Akari opened it and flipped through it, her eyes scanning over newspaper clippings, notes, and stories before she closed it and tucked it under her arm.

"... _I will speak to my pack, but I make no promises._ " Akari said and bowed before slipping out of the room and leaving the deserted school, taking to the trees as she made her way home. Her mind was dancing over the information while her inner demon went over it and gave it new perspective, leaving Akari to focus on the trip home.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _Akari, are you okay?_ " Celt asked from his perch on Akari's back. They were on their way to school, choosing to run today instead of taking Shippo's truck. The twins were a few meters behind Akari, with Masaru to Akari's right with Ami on his back since she still wasn't strong or fast enough to run on her own.

" _Huh? Oh, I'm fine_ Celt." Akari told the boy, turning her head to look back at the blond boy while jumping to the next branch.

" _I don't believe you. You, Tou-san, Shippo-kun, and Kaa-san have all been acting funny._ " Celt said and Akari frowned at the younger boy's observation before turning her head to look back at the twins, who were watching her with big eyes full of questions.

" _Since you four will find out anyway, I don't see why we can't tell you._ " Akari said as she jumped to the ground to talk to everyone. " _We think there's a demon going around the area killing things for fun. We're trying to catch it and protect everyone. Understand?_ " Akari asked after everyone had settled to the ground around her. Immediately the twins started to whisper to one another, Celt tightened his arms around Akari, and Masaru scowled but said nothing since he already knew about the situation.

" _So you're being super heroes like from Shippo's stories? Does this mean we get to fight the bad guys?_ " Ami asked, her face stretched out into a smile as she talked about her favorite 'big brother' and the stories he told her.

" _Sort of,_ " Masaru said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. " _But if we're the heroes, I want to be the leader._ " He said with a grin of his own. Akari groaned, before Celt poked her cheek and drew her attention back to the twins and himself.

" _Does this mean we have to be extra careful and keep an eye out for any demons?_ " Celt asked and Akari nodded her head.

" _For now though, keep your e-_ " She started only to have Izayoi interrupt in a sarcastic tone and smile.

"' _Keep your ears and eyes open.' We know! Tou-san says it way to often!_ " Izayoi said with a laugh as Keade shook her head at her twin.

" _Right, come on._ " Akari said with a half smile before adjusting Celt on her back and running again.

A few minutes later they had dropped the younger kids off at elementary and were heading over to the high school when Akari caught whiff of a familiar scent.

" _I'll see you later,_ " she told Masaru before jogging away to find the source of the scent.

"Dakota!" Akari greeted, making the tiny girl spin around with a wide eyed look before it shifted into a glare. "Where have you been?" Akari asked as she looked over the girl with a frown. Dakota had her left hand bandaged and she was covered in bruises, far more than the last time Akari had seen her, leading Akari to wonder what had happened to her.

"None of your business." Dakota told her without any of her usual snap. "Here's the dress I borrowed." She added while shoving a plastic bag into Akari's hands. For a minute she looked like she wanted to say more but instead just turned around and started towards the school building.

"Dakota, are you okay? What happened?" Akari asked, easily catching up with the girl in just a few steps.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Did I leave my bag at your house?" Dakota asked, changing the subject to keep Akari from digging into her for more information.

"Don't change the subject. Tell me what happened. Was it those boys again? I'll kill them!" Akari growled as she looked around, her instincts telling her to go after anyone that was a threat.

"Forget it!" Dakota snapped and tried to shove Akari away only to have Akari grab her by her bad hand. "Ow! Dammit! Let go!" Dakota yelled, tears immediately rushing down her face as Akari held her left hand.

"Tell me what happened!" Akari demanded, ignoring Dakota's tears even though her instincts were telling her otherwise.

"Nothing happened!" Dakota said, stopping her struggles in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"Dakota!" Akari snapped at the girl, trying to figure out why she was doing this to herself. "Who hurt you?" She asked, trying to soften her tone, but she was to angry and she could smell someone on Dakota and her demon didn't like it.

"He didn't mean it, okay! It was an accident!" Dakota said, her eyes widening at what she let slip and Akari's yokia flared dangerously.

"Who. Was. It." Akari demanded, part of her trying to fight back the demon that was to close to the surface. If 'she' got out, Akari's Concealment Charm would be about as useful as a water bottle in hell. "No one should hurt you. Whoever did it is a foul bastard. Now tell me who it was!" She said through gritted teeth.

"No one! I did it to myself!" Dakota rushed to say, pulling on her arm again and biting her lip.

"Don't lie to me!" Akari growled and Dakota looked up at her, actually looked at her for once and Akari was so surprised by the look of raw emotions in the girl's eyes she let go. Taking the chance, Dakota hobbled away as fast as she could, leaving Akari to snarl at herself before heading back to her own home. She needed Kagome's help for this one.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!.

* * *

Shippo and Kagome watched as Akari and InuYasha sparred against each other with mixed feelings. Twenty minutes earlier, Akari had stormed into the house to angry for words and, after grabbing her gauntlets, had shoved Shippo outside with no warning. At first both Kagome and InuYasha had tried to stop the girl but when she snarled at them InuYasha had ordered Shippo to stand beside Kagome before approaching Akari. Akari's demon was just below the surface, and InuYasha was trying his hardest to calm Akari down while at the same time egg her on in the fight.

" _It's been a long time since Akari's been like this. Any idea's what's got her in a twist_?" Shippo asked as he watched Akari try to gut InuYasha, only to have said man grab her wrist and throw her to the ground. Before either could so much as blink, Akari was back up and forcing InuYasha to go on the defensive as she swung her claws at him in rapid succession.

" _None. Hopefully she'll tell us_." Kagome said after InuYasha managed to get enough distance between himself and Akari to go back on the offense.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari let herself fall to her knees as she panted for breath, her long thick hair sticking to her forehead and the back of her neck as she glared at the ground with her ears standing up and moving at all the sounds. InuYasha was in a similar state, though he wasn't on his knees, he was instead standing and watching his oldest daughter. They had been fighting for almost six hours, which was crazy for a human but not so much for a demon or hanyo.

During the fight Akari's charm had been cut off, leaving her illusion free and Shippo had taken the charm and gone back to the house to replace the cord before taking Emily with him to get the pups from school early.

" _When you...When you found me_ ," Akari spoke, saying something for the first time since the fight had started. " _Did your instincts tell you to protect me_?" She asked, turning her head to look up at InuYasha as Kagome walked over to them both and passed them cold water and towels.

" _What_?" InuYasha asked as Kagome frowned in confusion, both thrown off by the sudden topic.

" _I mean, back before you adopted me. Did your instincts tell you to do something about me_?" Akari asked with a slight growl in her tone. InuYasha shot her a glare, telling her without words not to challenge him. " _Sorry...It's just weird and I don't like it_." Akari muttered, folding her ears back and looking away while taking a sip of her water.

" _The only thing my instincts told me to do was keep an eye on your stubborn ass so you didn't get killed for being stupid._ " InuYasha scoffed, making Akari snort a low laugh while Kagome lightly smacked her mate's arm.

" _Akari_ ," Kagome asked, drawing the girl's attention to her mother. " _Is this about Dakota_?" She asked and smiled when the stubborn girl huffed at her in response.

" _I thought so_ ," Kagome said before looking at InuYasha. " _Leave this to me. It's a girl thing_ ," she told her mate, who left with a few low grumbles that Kagome was tempted to 'sit' him for but decided not to.

" _Okay, now talk_." Kagome said as she sat down beside Akari and waited for the girl to say something.

" _It's weird, I mean, every time we've encountered anyone in a dangerous situation I've never felt like this. I mean, I cared and wanted them out of whatever was going wrong but this is different. My demon won't shut up and every time I see Dakota I want to wrap her up in the fluffiest blanket we have and carry her around like a pup_." Akari said angrily, throwing her empty water bottle away from her as if it was the cause of all her problems.

" _Alright, start at the beginning. What's going on_?" Kagome asked softly, gently rubbing Akari's ears in an attempt to get the slightly smaller girl to calm down.

" _I think, no that's not right, I know Dakota's being abused and I don't like it! When she finally came to school today I confronted her and asked why she was all beat up but she told me it was nothing! Nothing! Then she slipped up and said something about a 'he'. Her hand felt as if it had been shattered and she was covered in bruises._ " Akari growled, her ears folded back as she bared her teeth in anger. Kagome waited a minute for Akari to calm down, her own thoughts racing as she thought over the information. " _She's just a pup, and she's always on her own. What if this Kitsune that's attacking, finds her? What if she becomes a victim?_ " Akari asked softly and Kagome hummed while gently pulling the girl into a hug. Most of the pack was aware of the attacks going on and were on edge due to the sudden silence the demon was using, so Kagome wasn't surprised at the fear Akari had for Dakota.

" _We'll do what we can about that. As for your instincts and what you know about Dakota, those are easier._ " Kagome said with a slight smile when Akari pulled away to look at her. " _What you're feeling is something all mother's feel. I felt it when I found all of you, and you're feeling it for a little girl you found._ " Kagome told a disbelieving Akari as the girl looked at her in confusion.

" _But, I can't be a mother! I mean, I haven't even found my mate yet! And Dakota acts like she hates me!_ " Akari was quick to defend and Kagome shook her head with a laugh.

" _Are you saying that when I found Shippo before InuYasha and I became mates, I wasn't his mother?_ " Kagome asked her daughter calmly. " _Mother's can't pick and choose their children, they just find them and love them instantly. Our instincts, human or not, tell us that a child is ours and that we have to do whatever it takes to protect them. Regardless of how that child acts._ " Kagome said, giving a pointed look to Akari that made the girl blush as she remembered her early days with Kagome and InuYasha.

" _So what should I do?_ " Akari asked in defeat and Kagome rolled her eyes while getting to her feet.

" _Be there for her at every turn. Even if she says she doesn't need your help, give it. It's a learning process for both of you._ " Kagome told her oldest daughter while helping her to her feet. " _Now, go get a shower and change. You, young lady, smell!_ " Kagome said with an exaggerated tone as Akari dashed over to her thrown water bottle before laughing and jogging to the house.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"We're going somewhere today." Joseph said as he waited for me outside of the school later that day. He didn't even wait to see if I had heard him before turning around and walking off, leaving me to follow after him.

Part of me was angry at him and wanted to scream that there was no way I would follow him after what he did to me two days ago, but the other part, the part of me I hated was meek enough to follow with my mouth shut. That was the part of me I hated, the part that, no matter how cruelly it was beaten, no matter how angry I got, still listened to him.

It wasn't until we got into the trees and out of sight of the road that he turned around to look at me. His face was blank, with a small shadow of hair on it, as he looked at me, trailing his eyes up and down as if debating something. I waited, my head bowed slightly, to see what he would do.

"I'm taking you to a fight to win some money." He said after the tense silence, and I froze, my world suddenly slamming to a stop as the words registered in my head.

"What?" I asked in disbelief and looked up at him with confusion. "I can't fight!" I exclaimed loudly.

"I want you to let that other part fight. Monsters can all fight, even if they look human." Joseph spat at me while taking a menacing step towards me. I flinched at the action, my mind going back over the past week as I looked down at the ground before suddenly gathering up the courage to look up at him.

"Why should I do anything for you?" I said in retaliation, flinching at what I knew was going to happen next. The blow didn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would, maybe I was getting used to it, or maybe I was finally going crazy. Either way the blow still sent me to the ground. "You said it yourself. My other side's a monster, why should I help you?" I heard myself ask before I could shut my mouth, I watched Joseph shift his feet before feeling him grab my short hair and yank me to my feet.

"Because if you don't then you're mother won't get any better." He snarled at me and I felt something in me building up, and even though it burned like fire, I liked the power it gave me, craved it like food. That is I did until, I felt something cold against my throat and heard a ominous click. "If you want your mother to look at you without screaming then I suggest you do as I say." He said in a calm tone while dropping me to the ground. I felt my whole body shake as I lifted my head up to see the small pistol he was tucking into his jacket, a malicious smirk on his face as he made eye contact with me.

" **Kill him, he hurt us. It's only fair.** " The words whispered just at the edge of my mind as I drew on the fire in me, feeling it rush around my body numbing my aches and pains. I hated Joseph, I wanted him dead and the power in me was making me feel as if I could do it. I could kill him, squish him like a bug.

"No! Shut up! This is wrong!" I suddenly snapped back into my own thoughts, feeling shock and guilt at what I had been thinking of doing, as Joseph tossed me to the ground. It was like being surrounded by Brian and his friends all over again. "That wasn't me... Oh god, I was...I was really going to kill him!" I thought, stunned as I mentally went over my own thoughts while pushing away from the fire, forcing the feeling of it to fade away and be replaced by aches and pain. I was a lot of things, but I wasn't a killer. I wasn't Joseph. Was I?

"You do as I say, and I'll let you play human a little longer, Freak." Joseph said with a twisted laugh as I dug small burrows into the dirt with my fingers, feeling as if I had already lost.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Is this it?" A tall man asked from his spot behind a large desk. The man reminded me of a fat cow in a business suit. "This is your fighter? BAH! That's a fucking mouse in a flower suit!" The man spat as he took a drag off of a thick Cuban cigar. The man himself was ugly to look at so him calling me a mouse in a flower suit was actually a far prettier insult than expected. He had long brown hair braided in the back with the top of his head bald, his eyes were so narrow he appeared to be squinting the entire time, his nose reminded me of a crushed onion and had probably been broken countless times, and his lips were puffy enough to be considered two small sausages. Next to Joseph, who I had to admit was actually fit, this man looked like a stereotypical fat and mostly bald diabetic.

"If that's the case, you won't be afraid of losing. You're boy versus her. When I win I get twenty grand and a request." Joseph said as I clenched my fists and bowed my head to hide my anger.

"When you win? Ha! I like the attitude Joseph, but if I win I keep the girl." The man said with a cold laugh as I caught the hungry look in his eye as he looked me up and down. "She's a bit young but she'll make for good breeding stock." He added, making me want to gag and run away to hide.

"Deal." Joseph said in that same calm tone and shook the man's hand in agreement. I watched them, feeling as if they had signed my death.

"They fight in a week. I'll have one of my men pick you up." The man said with a cold smile and Joseph nodded his head, his eyes lighting up as he returned the smile.

"I can't afford to lose this." I thought, feeling my nails bite into my skin as I felt Joseph put one hand on my shoulder and use the other one to press the gun to my back as he lead me out of the room. As I crossed the threshold of the office, Akari's words hit me again and for some reason they made me want to cry. "She wouldn't care so much if she knew what I was." I thought as I blinked back the burn in my eyes.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` Back to Orignal P.O.V. `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Dakota wasn't at school the next day, or the next week. In fact when Akari asked around she learned that Dakota had been withdrawn from school. It wasn't until the following Saturday that Akari found her mind completely enveloped in thoughts and worries for the tiny girl.

" _I should go to her house. Check on her or something._ " Akari argued with herself outloud, trying to convince herself she was only doing it to reassure herself and not because she was actually worried about the girl.

" _Just go already! You're going to drive all of us crazy if you don't!_ " Masaru moaned from his spot at his desk, earning a loud 'uh-huh' of agreement from Celt. The two boys actually shared a room, which wasn't that odd seeing as they only had five bedrooms on the second floor of their house, not counting the sixth room that had been split into two walk-in closets and a large bathroom. InuYasha had done some serious renovating and adding onto the house when they bought, since he didn't want his Pack to live in 'a ragged hovel that was worse than Naraku's castles.'

The boy's room was simple, half of the room was covered in sports posters and drawings, while the other half was covered in posters of magicians and Chinese artwork. Furniture wise, the room held a large bunkbed, a large art desk covered in paint splatters and stickers, and two large chests that held their old clothes and any of their trinkets. Sports equipment peeked out of the large walk-in closet that had originally been part of a bedroom, while the nearby bathroom door was closed.

" _Shut up!_ " Akari snapped at her brothers, picking up a discarded football and throwing it at Celt, knowing if she hit Masaru while he was drawing she'd be tortured with never-ending pranks. " _I'm going to check on the girls. They've been to quiet._ " Akari said and left the room, closing the door just as Celt threw the football back at her.

Down the hallway, Akari could hear the sound of pop music coming out of one of the five upstairs bedrooms and mentally winced before cautiously opening the door. Inside the twins were standing with Ami and Emily, all four of them wearing old kiminos and jewelry and running around the equally large room. The room itself was a mix of pastel colors that had large flower blossoms scattered across the walls of the room with similiar furniture to the boys spread out and up against the walls. The only difference between the boy's furniture and the twin's was the lack of bunkbeds, instead the girls's had two small twin sized beds sitting side by side on one side of the room. Usually a chest sat at the foot of each twin's bed but currently the chests had been moved to the middle of the room to serve as a stage for the four girls. Akari shook her head at the scene and ducked her head back out of the room before she was seen, choosing to go find Kagome before going to see Dakota.

" **Quit dragging your feet and go already! All the pups are fine!** " Akari's inner demon snapped as Akari jumped down the stairs with a nearly silent landing.

" _Oh shut up! Maybe I don't want to go!_ " Akari snapped back at her silently, as she turned the corner into the living room to find Kagome going over some of her old medical equipment.

" _Going somewhere?_ " Kagome asked with a knowing look as she carefully set down her stethoscope and looked at her daughter with a smile.

" _No!_ " Akari said immediately before feeling her face burn and crossing her arms. " _What's with all that?_ " She asked in an attempt to change the subject. Kagome shook her head at Akari before fixing her paperwork and sighing.

" _I was thinking about going and getting my license renewed. The local hospital needs a new doctor and I thought I might be able to do the job._ " Kagome told her while looking over her neat paperwork and Akari smirked.

" _So you're bored?_ " Akari asked with a laugh and watched as Kagome tried to deny it.

" _I am not!_ " She exclaimed just as Shippo ran into the room and skid to a stop on the carpet.

" _InuYasha said to get help! There's a lot of blood and he needs help!_ " Shippo gasped out, his face flushed from running the distance to the house and his eyes wide in shock. Akari was stunned but Kagome immediately jumped into action.

" _Shippo, go tell the other's to stay upstairs. Akari, go find me my supplies and meet me in the kitchen. Now!_ " Kagome commanded, sending both kids running while she ran to the kitchen to ready the table for the injuried. " _Oh Kami please let it not be to bad._ " She mentally prayed.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticsms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Shippo and InuYasha sighed after the long day, the blueprints had finally been approved for the new church and the grocery store so construction for both would start soon. But at the moment that fact was far from their minds. They were on their way home when both smelled acidic smoke not to far away and changed direction to investigate the smell. When they found the wreckage of a burning car they were stunned and immediately searched for any victims since both could smell blood around the area. They followed the smell to a tree a several yards away and were stunned to see a figure hanging from a tree with a pipe through each arm, a leg with the bone hanging out of it, bruises, and so many cuts it was hard to tell where the cuts ended and began.

" _Shippo!_ " InuYasha growled to the stunned boy when he started to growl in the back of his throat, a sound to high for a human to hear but loud and clear to InuYasha as the sound translated to one of fear and anger. The young man snapped to attention, looking at InuYasha with big green eyes. " _Help me get them down. Even the dead deserve better._ " InuYasha bit out as he walked over to the figure and gently lifted them up far enough to pull the weight off of their arms. He winced when he felt the broken ribs move against him before he realized that he could faintly feel a heartbeat and a ghost of breath.

" _He's alive._ " InuYasha breathed out as he looked at what he could now tell was an elderly man with stunned relief while Shippo's shoulder's sagged and he smiled in relief as well.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Kagome was trying her hardest to keep the man alive, using every technique she knew and then some with no luck. Akari had even been called into the room in hopes of being able to help by forcing yokia into his body, but even then both were struggling to keep the man afloat.

" _Kichiro_ - _san_!" Akari said in shock when she saw the old man slowly open his eyes, stunning both women since they knew how close to death he was.

" _Akari, keep him awake._ " Kagome commanded as she pushed more of her Spiritual Power into the man to keep his heart beating while an ambulance came, InuYasha having called them as soon as he had set the man down.

" _No! Not her!_ " The old man moaned, his voice raspy as if he had been using it for screaming.

" _Who, Kichiro-san?_ " Akari asked, taking the man's hand and trying to get him to focus on her.

" _...why? She's just a child._ " Kichiro whispered, his eyes finally losing their glazed look as he looked at Akari. " _Just a child,_ " he breathed while raising a shaky hand to cup Akari's face.

" _Who Kichiro-san? Tell me what happened._ " Akari demanded softly, looking at the man and waiting for answers.

" _New Kitsune...child. To close... to the surface. She's not herself._ " He whispered before his back arched and he screamed over the sounds of incoming sirens, forcing Kagome and Akari back as his body thrashed as if fighting something. Kagome immediately moved forward, to restrain the elderly man as his wounds reopened and two ambulance medics rushed in.

"We need some help over here!" One of the medics yelled as she and Kagome restrained the man as best as they could while the male medic called for backup.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

The house was quiet the next day and the four oldest pack members were in a small room in the back that had once been a library in the old days but had been split and turned into the master bedroom for Kagome and InuYasha on one side and a meeting room on the other side.

" _What do we do_?" Akari asked as she looked over at InuYasha, who was sitting on a shelf above them with Kagome in his lap. Shippo was sitting underneath InuYasha and slightly to the right with his feet bare and propped up on a nearby desk. He was fiddling with a small bag of tricks, using his Fox Magic to his full advantage.

" _A new enemy using the old Kitsune's ways is behind Kichiro-san's death. That much we know._ " Shippo said, tossing a rubber band ball up into the air before catching it with the bag. " _Kichiro-san mentioned a girl right?_ " He asked, turning his head to look up at his adoptive parents as InuYasha growled at something Kagome had apparently said.

" _If he's got a kid that did that to Kichiro-san then I doubt that kid is right in the head._ " InuYasha muttered and Kagome frowned at him.

" _What if the child's like Kanna? Unable to do anything except what Kitsune says._ " Kagome countered and InuYasha grunted at her, showing he understood but didn't like it.

" _I feel like there's something we're missing._ " Akari muttered angrily and stood up, pacing around the room and ignoring the stares she was getting from the other three in the room with her.

" _Do you think Kitsune's trying to train her?_ " Shippo spoke up after a few minutes and sat up when he noticed the confused looks he was receiving from everyone. " _Here me out, okay? We know the last time Kitsune appeared he stopped killing after the Carter's were killed. Now he's back sixty years later and apparently he has a kid with him. What if the reason he's reappeared is to train the kid? I mean Kitsune's a demon, if he has a kid he'd want to train it right?_ " Shippo asked and everyone nodded slowly at the point Shippo made.

" _Yes, but all demons know the laws. Even if Kitsune had a child and was training them, the law states that humans are not to be targeted unless judged by a local council or in the case of self-defense. Neither of those things have happened._ " Kagome said after some thought. " _If a council had been called, then we would have been asked to show up because we're the alpha's of our pack and we're part of two different clans. Kichiro-san was an old man that caused no harm, and judging off of what we could find in the town records on the Carter family they were just a simple family from Ireland. Nothing we're seeing makes sense._ " Kagome added and the group fell into silence as they tried to figure out how anything connected.

" _Oba-san! Izayoi and Celt won't let me play with them!_ " A tiny voice whined as a little face with big hazel eyes peered into the room with a pout on her face.

" _Ami-chan, what have we told you about coming in here when the door's closed?_ " Shippo whined with a teasing look as the little girl ran over to him and jumped into his lap, her little cat claws digging into his shirt for better grip as her ears tickled the bottom of his chin.

" _But the door wasn't closed when I opened it!_ " Ami told him, making InuYasha roll his eyes while Akari and Kagome laughed lightly.

" _Ah, but it was before that._ " Shippo said with a knowing look as Ami hummed but otherwise ignored him.

" _I think that's enough for now. I'm going to go to the hospital to see if I can get a job. InuYasha you stay here with the pups, I'll be back in a little while._ " Kagome said as InuYasha lightly jumped down from their perch and set Kagome on her feet.

" _Not so fast! You're not going anywhere!_ " InuYasha snapped loudly making Kagome bristle and give him a warning look.

" _And why not?_ " Kagome asked in a 'you're in dangerous waters' voice. Hearing that tone, Shippo immediately moved to a nearby window and opened it, making sure to keep Ami quiet as he did so.

" _What if this Kitsune guy attacks you?_ " InuYasha asked and Akari winced at what she knew was coming and carefully slid her foot into a shadow since she was to far from the window to get there before the incoming arguement.

" _Are you saying I can't protect myself?_ " Kagome asked loudly and InuYasha bristled and showed his fangs, something that only made Kagome angrier.

" _No! But it isn't my fault you usually need rescuing!_ " InuYasha growled at her and that was the final straw. Shippo took that moment to leap out of the window and into the yard, taking Ami with him, and Akari slid into the shadow, making sure to picture the shadow of a nearby tree she could see out the window from where she was standing.

" _I am a Priestess, InuYasha! I helped defeat Naraku, Magatsuhi, Yakumo, Suzume, and countless other demons over the years! And I've saved your butt more times than I can count! So don't you dare say I can't protect myself!_ " Kagome's voice carried out the window and all the way to where Akari was pulling herself out of the shadow of the tree a few seconds later. Shippo jogged over to her, steading her a little since traveling through shadows still messed with her balance.

" _InuYasha really did it this time._ " Shippo said as Ami nodded and climbed up onto his shoulders.

" _SIT BOY!_ " Kagome yelled, making the two oldest siblings wince as a loud slam echoed through the area and the house shook.

" _He's going to be sleeping outside for a month because of this one._ " Akari added as they watched Kagome storm out of the house and over to her car. "... _Twenty bucks and one week of chores he follows her in an hour._ " Akari said after a minute and Shippo grinned.

" _Fifty he doesn't and we got a deal._ " Shippo said and shook hands with Akari before various windows all over the house swung open to reveal the Pack's pups jumping out of the windows.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

The bet was close, but Akari managed to win when InuYasha left exactly fifty-eight minutes after Kagome. Shippo was disappointed with the turn out but easily handed the money over with only a few grumbles while Akari smiled at him.

" _Oi, does anyone else smell that?_ " Masaru asked with a grin as he lifted Emily up onto his shoulders.

" _Yeah, I think it's defeat!_ " Izayoi sang as she grinned up at Shippo with a cocky smile while Keade laughed at her twin's antics.

" _Ne, Shippo should never bet against onee-chan!_ " Keade added, earning agreement from Celt as the younger boy was sent stumbling as Ami jumped up onto his back.

" _Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up!_ " Shippo gripped but everyone knew he was playing as he stormed towards the house. " _I'm going to go order some pizzas! Akari go take those brats swimming or something! Masaru with me!_ " Shippo ordered and grinned in victory when the younger kids all cheered at the prospect of swimming. Even though it was starting to get cooler during the September nights it was still plenty warm enough to swim for all the hanyos in the Pack.

" _You bastard! You take them! I'll order the pizza!_ " Akari yelled after her older brother, ignoring the loud 'ooh's from the group at her choice of wording.

" _Never!_ " Shippo cried joyfully while tossing a few mushrooms at Akari to distract her long enough for him to get to the house.

" _Shippo!_ " Akari yelled as she was forced to dispeal his giant mushrooms.

An hour later Shippo and Akari were sitting on a large boulder poking out of a large creek a few miles from their house watching as Masaru, Celt, and the twins all swam around lazily while Ami and Emily alternated between playing in the nearby sand or splashing in the shallow water beside the boulder. Inbetween the two oldest were ten boxes of pizza with different toppings accourding to each person along with a large cooler filled with waters and CapriSuns, with towels spread out and hanging from trees, depending on where each person had tossed theirs.

" _If InuYasha saw you in that you know you'd be dead, right?_ " Shippo asked as he watched Celt shoot Masaru up into the air on a verticle blast of water, much to the older boy's amusement as he was sent sailing into deeper water.

" _What? It's better than the dress he bought me!_ " Akari said as she shivered at the thought of the striped monstrosity InuYasha had bought for her to swim in years ago. It had luckily been 'lost' shortly after it was received. Currently the Kuro Hanyo was wearing a strapless bikini with the main color being a dull white with turquoise and blue swirl patterns covering it and showing off her tan. " _Besides, he doesn't force the girls to wear anything that awful._ " Akari added, motioning to the pink princess once piece Ami was wearing and the purple sparkle one Emily was wearing.

" _That reminds me, did you make sure Emily got her sunblock?_ " Akari asked while sniffing the air in the four year old's direction. " _And is that the charm you've been working on?_ " She asked when she caught sight of the pale brown string covered in what looked like painted beads around the girl's neck.

" _Yes to both. So far she seems fine, I think I finally got the charm to work but I figured now was a good time for her to wear it just in case, you know?_ " Shippo asked, and pulled his phone out of his plain, dark blue swim trunks. " _Nothing from InuYasha, so we're good for now. I say we stay out for another two hours before we head back._ " Shippo said and Akari nodded, her eyes following the twins as they both jumped onto Masaru and Celt, dunking them into the water with loud laughs.

" _Masaru mentioned something interesting earlier._ " Shippo started, earning a surprised look from Akari as she turned her head to look at him. " _Did you ever go check on that girl?_ " He asked and Akari groaned at her brother, covering her eyes with her arm while letting her other rest across her stomach.

" _No, but I want to. I was going to yesterday but then all that happened so I don't know._ " Akari sighed and Shippo nodded, his focus on the group but his mind was beginning to wander a bit.

" _Why don't you go?_ " Shippo asked and quickly added more when he noticed Akari was going to protest. " _I can keep an eye on the pups and besides you'll end up worring yourself crazy if you don't go._ " Shippo told her and watched out of the corner of his eye as Akari frowned in thought before grabbing a towel and a pizza box.

" _Two hours. Or I'll go mess up your room._ " Akari told him before wrapping the towel around her waist and jumping off of the boulder.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

I'm such an idiot, I should have jut run away instead of just listening to Joseph and following him to the fight. It was amazing I had gotten out of it with only soreness and bruises, the fact that I was alive when I know I should have died still floored me. I growled angrily, glaring down at the ground as the fight played over in my head, making me feel even worse.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((FLASHBACK SCENE)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

The fight was in a blank white room, with the floor made of a dull grey metal that was cold beneath my thin shoes. My opponent looked human, save for his abnormal size and the sharp pointed horns coming out of his head. He didn't speak, but when he saw me he turned to look up at the viewing box and motioned to me with a grunt. If I wasn't so scared, I would have laughed at the action, but right then I was trying not to think how this mutant boy would kill me. When the floor buzzed with electricity that stung my feet, the fight started.

I did my best to avoid the bull-boy, but it was incredibly difficult to do since the room seemed smaller and smaller as the fight progressed. As it was I sported bruised on top of bruises, cuts that stung and frothed from whatever goo the bull-boy had on his horns, and my left arm was useless, swinging limply at my side as I tried to force my blurry vision into focus. With every hit, the desire to release the building fire inside of me grew along with the whispered promises of freedom.

To late I realized he was charging at me and my back was against a wall. As I watched my opponent double in front of me, I felt the fire turn white hot. I gasped, falling over my opponent's head as his horns drove through my stomach and nailed me to the solid, white wall. As my blood ran down the boy's horns, everything seemed to fade; pain, sound, emotion, everything. Then as my red shirt turned dark, the pain hit me like a wall. It was so intense I couldn't even scream, only gasp and fall limply to the floor as the boy jerked his horns out of the wall, shaking his head to dislodge me and send me crumbling to the floor like a limp rag doll.

" **No choice now. I'm coming out!** " I heard my inner monster yell as everything went dark around me just as it felt like electricity shot through me. At this point I didn't care if it was the electric floor or the monster inside of me. I had never wanted to live so much.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((FLASHBACK END)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I sighed and clenched my hands into fists, starring up at the grey house I called home. The fight kept playing in my head, making me wonder what had happened. I had woken up a mile or two from my house, still covered in blood and smelling faintly of smoke. When I had come to, I had realized that even though I was covered in blood and could even taste it in my mouth, I had no life threatening injuries. In fact, my hand was even completely healed and there were no holes in my stomach. I still had bruises, and still hurt like hell, but I was otherwise fine.

After walking home, I had discovered something else. My house was empty. All the furniture, save for a single mattress cover and a busted box of clothes in my room, was gone. After searching through the house again, I found a large brown envelope half hidden under the busted fridge, as if it had been dropped and forgotten. Curious, I walked over to it and pulled it out of it's hiding place, my thoughts quiet as I looked at the unfamiliar script that had printed my name on the front.

"Curiosity killed the cat," I whispered as I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a random paper.

"What the hell?" I breathed, my eyes burning as I read over the paper in my hand before feeling it and the envelope fall from my fingers. "But that's impossible." I whispered, my voice raw as I tried to figure out what the words on the paper meant. My eyes burned with tears as my hurt was replaced with anger and confusion and I stormed out of the kitchen, clenching the scribbled note in my hand. Fueled by too many emotions, I started to destroy the interior of the house; shattering the remaining windows, putting holes through the thin walls, knocking doors down with a shower curtain rod I had found somewhere.

"Argh!" I grunted as a twisted sense of joy coursed through me as I slammed the rod into the walls.

"How does it feel, Mom?" I yelled at no one, slamming the rod as hard as I could into the hallway wall. "I'm still here!" I screamed, my voice cracking I entered my bare room, throwing the rod at the window causing it to shatter and rain glass while the note I had kept in my hand fluttered to the ground.

"I'm still here." I whispered brokenly as I stared at the crumpled note and sobbed, burying my face in my hands as my body shook. My anger was gone, leaving me with a turmoil of disbelief and sadness. Forcing myself to ignore the shaking in my hands at the thought, I edged over to the broken box lying alone against the wall before pulling out an only black jacket that had rips in the hems.

"You did it, Joseph!" I yelled as loudly as I could, feeling my throat catch as tears burned my eyes. "I'll be dead soon now!" I croaked as I sat there and felt my anger ebb away slowly as shame at what I had done, grief at being abandoned, and confusion surfaced in it's place.

"Dakota?" A familiar voice called out from the front of the house, making my heart jump in surprise. "Hello?" I heard Akari call out as I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand, trying to get rid of the tears that had spilled over. I was torn, part of me wanted her to find and help me, but the other part was terrified of being seen now.

"Dakota, are you around here?" Akari's voice called out as I listened to her walk around the inside of the house. "Dakota!" I heard Akari yell suddenly, her voice laced with fear as I cringed and the fear in me won out. Ignoring the rational part of my head telling me what I was doing was stupid, I jumped out of the window and took off towards the trees, ignoring the glass that pierced the soles of my feet as I ran.

"Dakota, wait!" Akari yelled at me as I picked up my pace, jumping over obstacles before turning back to look at her.

"Go away!" I yelled over my shoulder as I tripped over a root and slid across the forest floor, my eyes going black at the sudden pain from my ankle.

"Dakota!" Akari called from behind me as I grit my teeth and got to my feet again, ignoring the harsh shards of pain that danced behind my eyes when I tried to stand.

"Dammit!" I hissed and looked behind me, knowing Akari was getting closer. I frantically pulled the ripped jacket on and zipped it, releasing a small sigh of thanks when the damaged shirt was out of sight before hastily rubbing my face clear of tears.

"Dakota!" Akari cried, her voice filled with relief as she skid to a stop in front of me and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me into a surprise hug.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, immediately struggling against her as she held on tighter.

"You're covered in blood, your house is demolished, and you've been missing for almost two weeks. What the hell happened?" Akari asked, her tone matter of fact before turning to concern.

"None of your damn business!" I snapped at her, finally managing to escape her hold and tried to step back only to give a sharp cry when my ankle gave out from beneath me. I didn't even realize I had grabbed onto Akari or that she had lowered us to the ground, until the pain faded. Making a noise of disgust, I pushed her away and looked down at my dark purple ankle with a curse.

"Let me-" Akari started and I lashed out at her.

"No! I don't want your help!" I yelled at her suddenly, and in the back of my mind knew I probably should have closed my mouth. "I'm fine on my own, got it? If it weren't for you I wouldn't even be in this mess!" I snapped at her, my voice laced with venom as I glared up at Akari, the familiar fire burning me from the inside.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Akari fired back, her face twisted in her own anger as she glared at me. "I'm only trying to help!" She yelled back at me, leaning over me slightly as she did.

"Did I ask for it?" I hissed up at her, and I saw her eyes flash before she suddenly had both my hands trapped in her own with her other wrapped surprisingly gently, around my ankle. "What the hell? Get away from me!" I yelled at her, trying to ignore the fresh wave of pain the rolled up from the injury as she poked at it.

"If you don't stop moving, I will hit you." She growled, and for some reason I listened. Maybe it was the tone of her voice or just the position I was in, but either way I stopped moving. "The only reason I haven't hit you yet is because you're already hurt." Akari continued in a low tone as I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut when she carefully turned my ankle over and caused a fresh throb of pain.

"Go ahead! Not like it'd matter anyway." I muttered angrily but she ignored me, instead letting out a tired sigh.

"You're not going to be able to walk on that for awhile." Akari said and let go of me just as I reached the point of lashing out again. "I'll carry you back to my house." Akari added calmly and I balked.

"No, I can get back to my house." I told her, trying to maintain eye contact, but with her standing above me and with the sun shining through the leaves behind her, it was rather difficult.

"No. I'm taking you back to my house." She told me and I frowned as I broke eye contact. "You can't even stand, much less walk." She added in a softer tone before kneeling down and easily lifting me up into her arms.

"What the hell are you doing?" I squawked in surprise, latching my arms around her neck as she lifted me up. "Put me down!" I exclaimed angrily.

"What does it look like? I'm going to carry you back to my house." Akari said as if it was obvious. I glared up at her, because even with her holding me bridal style I still wasn't eye level.

"Just take me back to my house. It's closer, and it's not like I can go anywhere." I told her, too angry to be embarrassed at the moment and wanting to be alone.

"No." She said in a plain tone, one that told me she was finished discussing it even if I wasn't.

"What?! This is kidnapping!" I snapped at her, trying to squirm out of her hold even as she tightened it. "Put me down!" I muttered, slapping at her hands and trying to ignore how much pain was coming from my ankle now that I was moving it.

"Will you stop it already?!" Akari snapped, her eyes flashing as a wave of cold hit me, making me freeze and shiver slightly at the force behind her tone. "I'm only trying to help!" She growled at me, and I frowned when she gave me a tired and somewhat hurt look. It wasn't until her face changed that I noticed the cold was gone and had been replaced by a warm almost comforting feeling, almost like a ray of sunshine.

"Yeah, I'm going insane." I thought as my breakdown from earlier, coupled with the adrenaline, finally caught up to me and I sagged against Akari tiredly.

"I didn't ask for help." I muttered, looking away from her and crossing my arms. "Just don't drop me." I told her tiredly, my blinks getting longer and longer as everytime I opened my eyes we were in a different area and even further from my home.

"I won't, I promise." Akari told me and I sighed, to tired at this to even speak.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari sighed in relief when Dakota finally stopped fighting her and fell asleep. It was one thing to simply run back to her own house, but it was another thing to do so without raising questions. Akari was actually surprised that Dakota had managed to even fall asleep with her ankle obviously in pain. Maybe it had something to do with yelling she heard earlier or the blood covering her? Either way, something big had happened and whatever it was had affected Dakota badly, to the point that the girl had lashed out subconsciously with yokia.

Akari sighed, she had way to many questions in her head about the girl. Dakota was obviously fine, aside from her many bruises and twisted ankle, even though she was covered in blood, the jacket doing nothing to cover the scent. The house had been empty and destroyed from the inside, causing Akari to wonder why that was the case. Add in the fact that Dakota had been missing for almost two weeks at this point, and Akari was wondering a lot of things.

" **Be glad she hasn't encountered Kitsune or his lackey.** " Akari's demon whispered in her mind, making Akari grunt her agreement as she adjusted Dakota slightly, wincing when the tiny girl whimpered from the movement of her ankle.

" _Right, small mercies._ " Akari responded in a similar manner as she jumped up into another tree and sped up, absently noting she was only a mile away from her home at that point. " _I'll talk to her about all this later._ " She whispered silently before focusing more on the travel and what she would tell the other's.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

* * *

Akari shook her head as she looked over at Dakota for the umpteenth time since she had brought her back to her house. Currently the tiny girl was lying in Akari's bed with the older girl sitting on the window ledge. Dakota herself had been asleep for about a while, and if it weren't for the soft nearly incoherent mumbles every now and then Akari would have been more worried. As it was Akari was starring at an old manga and listening to the noises drifting up through the floor, undetectable by human ears.

Shortly after she had gotten back, Akari had holed up in her room, retrieving the small first aid kit she kept in her shared bathroom to ice Dakota's ankle until Kagome got home. She had left a note on the front of her door for the ones who didn't read the one she had left downstairs, telling them not to come in under any circumstances before adding an old ofuda that allowed people to leave but not come in unless she wanted it. She could hear a dull murmur from below where she knew Masaru and Shippo were talking to InuYasha and Kagome, the later having arrived back ten minutes after the pups had gotten home.

" _I can check out the place. Akari wouldn't bring her here for no reason._ " Akari could hear Shippo saying, followed by a low rumble of InuYasha's voice that was to low to decipher what was said.

" _Tou-san, I can go with Shippo. That way you can protect the pups and Kaa-san._ " Masaru's voice carried upstairs followed by another answer that was to low for Akari to puzzle out. Akari's ears twitched when she heard Dakota's breathing change as she started to wake up, alerting her to replace her charm before Dakota was fully awake.

"Ugh," Dakota's soft groan cut through the silence as Akari slipped on the charm just in time.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Akari greeted, giving the girl a smile as she sat up with a wince and looked around in confusion. "I brought you to my room. Don't try to move to much, your ankle's twisted pretty badly." Akari said and watched the girl as her face twisted with a mix of emotions before she forced a nod to Akari without looking at her.

"Why did you help me?" Dakota whispered in a soft tone as she starred down at her ankle. Akari frowned, not sure how to answer or how to react to the usually fire-spitting girl.

"Because you needed it." She told Dakota, mentally growling when Dakota frowned at the response. "Sorry about the clothes," Akari said, motioning to the pair of old shorts and shirt that used to belong to Izayoi. "I remember you were uncomfortable in Keade's stuff so I switched out." Akari said with a trace of nervousness as Dakota looked over at the clothes for a second before nodding her head and looking down at her ankle again.

"You'll be staying here from now on, since your house is destroyed. I'll go get Kagome to come up to look you over." Akari said, moving around the room in an attempt to do something with herself before going to the door. "Just stay here until I get back. I don't want any of the other's to see you." Akari told the girl and winced at what she said.

"I mean, they're a bit crazy around new people and I uh...Just wait here and don't move." Akari said and darted out of the room, feeling a chill down her spine as she tried to shake the look of guilt on Dakota's face out of her mind. " _I am such an idiot._ " She muttered as she jumped off the stairs and down onto the first floor with a faint thump. Without breaking stride, she walked into the kitchen where the other's sat, absently noting the younger pups were outside running around in the late afternoon sun.

" _You going to explain, or leave us guessing?_ " InuYasha asked gruffly, giving Akari a sharp look while the boys rolled their eyes and Kagome sighed. Some things never changed, it seemed.

" _I'm almost positive she's part demon._ " Akari said bluntly and earned a mix of nods from the four in the room with her. " _She reacted instantly when my yokia flared up and when I used it to try and help her. From what I know, she's been abused and she had a breakdown earlier. She was covered in blood when I found her, but it wasn't all her's so I assume she lost control and attacked something since there were traces of demon mixed with her scent._ " Akari told them, trailing off as something nudged at the back of her mind.

" _How old was the blood?_ " InuYasha asked with a dangerous glint in his eye.

" _You think...? InuYasha!_ " Kagome exclaimed, slapping her mate's arm in anger as she realized what he was thinking.

" _Ka-_ " InuYasha tried to butt in, only to earn a glare from the smaller woman.

" _InuYasha's right, for all we know she was part of Kichiro-san's death. We don't know anything really._ " Shippo said with a sigh, drawing attention to himself as he spoke.

" _But she's a child!_ " Kagome countered, Akari nodding her agreement as she sat down, already knowing she wasn't going to be able to drag Kagome away anytime soon.

" _A child that was found covered in someone else's blood._ " InuYasha said in an exasperated tone. " _Even if she had nothing to do with it, she's still a possible threat and that's a problem._ " He added, looking around the table at everyone.

" _So? Does she stay or does she stay?_ " Masaru asked with a grin, speaking up for the first time since Akari's arrival.

" _She stays. Just like all the others, we won't turn her away. We'll try and figure out where her family is and go from there._ " Kagome said in an obvious tone, though it did get slightly darker when she mentioned finding Dakota's family.

" _So what kind of demon do you think is she?_ " Masaru asked with a grin, leaning back in his chair till it was on two feet and his hands were behind his head with his feet on the table.

" _I don't know._ " Akari said with a slightly sheepish look. " _And it's not important, she's still upstairs and I said I'd come get Kagome to look her over._ " Akari told Kagome, who frowned and tapped her chin as she thought over something before standing up.

" _Alright, let's go._ " Kagome said as she breezed past everyone and took towards the stairs.

" _Then Shippo and I are going to check out the house and see if we can find anything. We'll be back later!_ " Masaru called over his shoulder while dragging the taller boy out of the kitchen, leaving a glaring InuYasha behind.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change and a few minutes earlier `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

I waited until Akari had closed the door before carefully unwrapping my ankle. I whimpered and bit my lip at the sight of the ugly, dark purple bruise that wrapped around my ankle and heel.

"Damn!" I thought painfully as I slowly pulled my ankle close, trying not to jostle it as I did. "I can't be seen, huh? Then I'll get out of here without anyone knowing." I thought to myself as I looked down at my ankle and carefully focused on letting the monster out enough to heal my ankle. I watched with a mix of awe and horror as the bruise faded with the pain as fire pulsed softly through me. Then when the pain was gone, I forced the fire back until I was sure it was gone. Getting out of the bed, I carefully tested my ankle before moving towards the door.

"I can deal with the blood on my own clothes and the jacket for now. I'll find clothes somewhere else." I told myself as I glancing at the clothes Akari had left for me with a frown. As silently as I could, I eased the door open and poked my head out into the empty hall. Then carefully made my way to and down the stairs, keeping to the wall in hopes of creating less noise.

" _How old was the blood?_ " A man with snow white hair and vivid amber eyes asked in a curious and aggravated voice, making me freeze at the sight of him. He looked like some kind of character from the weird picture books I had seen some kids read. But the weirdest part about him wasn't his hair or eye color, but the two dog ears on his head.

" _You think...? InuYasha!_ " Kagome's familiar voice exclaimed loudly in what I assumed was the same language as she slapped at the man. The man grunted and tried to speak only to snap his mouth shut when the smaller woman glared at him.

" _InuYasha's right, for all we know she was part of Kichiro-san's death. We don't know anything really._ " Another man, this one seeming to be a few years younger than the white haired man, said with a sigh as he looked over at Kagome and the white haired man. I rubbed my eyes at the sight of bright auburn hair, brighter green eyes, fangs, and pointed ears. He looked oddly familiar, and it took me a minute to remember the man that had been with Akari when they first appeared at my door a month and a half ago. Beside him was a younger boy that looked like the white haired man, with short white hair that had a lock of black in it. The younger boy was leaning back in his chair on two feet, with his arms supporting him on the table while his eyes darted between the two men.

"I'm losing my mind." I thought stupidly before shaking my head and continuing my path to the door, silently thanking whoever that Akari blocked the doorway enough for me to easily slip past all of them. Still being careful of making any sound, I crept over to the door and eased it open, giving myself barely enough room to squeeze through before slipping past.

"I need to make it back to the house before any of them realize I'm gone. I'll figure out something after that." I thought as I looked at the sky as the sun started to set, not yet touching the horizon. I could hear yelling coming from behind the house, alerting me that there were still people to avoid, so taking a deep breath I darted off of the porch and took off running, ignoring the small twinge of pain from my newly healed ankle.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

By the time I finally managed to get back to my house I was out of breath, cold, tired, and sore. Stumbling every few steps, I slowly made my way up to my dark house and crept inside, feeling my way down the hallway to my room.

"Most people run away to get away from someone trying to hurt them, not help them." A strange voice said out of the darkness, making me spin around with a scream.

"Sorry about that." Another voice said followed by a blinding, white light shining in my face.

"Who are you?" I asked angrily, barely holding the fear out of my voice, as I rubbed my eyes and tried to clear my vision while at the same time scrambled to my feet. "Get out of my house!" I snapped as I was finally able to see the two familiar boys behind the flashlight. It was the two boys from earlier that had been talking to Akari.

"How did they get here before me?" I asked myself while glaring at them both.

"I'm Masaru and this is my older brother Shippo." The shorter one said with a smirk that showed off one fang while his strange gold eyes flashed.

"Why are you here?" I snapped at him angrily, wrapping my arms around myself as a cold breeze swept through the house, reminding me again how empty if was. "What are you?" I added as I took in their appearance again.

"To bring you back to the house. That is if Akari doesn't show up soon." Shippo said, ignoring my second question as he pulled out a small phone and looked at it. "As soon as we caught your scent, I sent her a text so I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up in a minute." He said nonchalantly as my heart started to race.

"Wha? Bu-but why would you do that?" I asked in confusion, looking up at him in disbelief as he looked at me with a tired sigh.

"Because she's worried, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's never get between a woman and a pup." Shippo said, rubbing the back of his head while Masaru laughed.

"Or Akari and her sweets." He joked, jabbing Shippo in the side with his elbow as the two shared a small laugh.

"You're all insane." I muttered as I started backing up, hoping to make it to my room and then barricade myself there till I woke up from this nightmare.

"Actually, we're pretty sane. I mean, Shippo's probably got brain damage from all the hits he's gotten from Dad but I'm still good." Masaru said cheerfully, while jumping to the side to avoid a swing from said boy. "When sis cools down, we can have a prank war or something. Gang up on the old geezers." He added as he moved to stand next to me, wrapping an arm around me and leaning down to be eye level with me as he grinned at Shippo from behind the bright flashlight that I now noticed was in Masaru's hand. I looked at him, with my eyes wide, before trying to move out of his arm only to realize that he had effectively trapped me.

"I'm such a freaking idiot!" I yelled at myself silently and tried to scramble for a plan of escape.

"I am not old! I'm not even in my prime! InuYasha's the old guy." Shippo said in a mock hurt voice that would have made me smile if it weren't for the fear and anger coursing through me.

"If InuYasha's old, what does that make Kagome?" A familiar voice asked as Akari walked inside the house with a questioning smirk.

"A beautiful goddess." Shippo said proudly as he nodded his head as if he were a sage. Akari rolled her eyes at him before turning the strange brown orbs onto me.

"Dakota, I told you to stay in my room." Akari said and I bristled at the comment. "Why did you leave?" She asked, walking towards me just as Masaru took a few steps behind me, blocking the hallway behind me.

"Because I wanted to!" I snapped at her, feeling my tiredness and sore body catch up to me as I stood there, while mentally cursing all three people for blocking all escape routes.

"That doesn't mean you can just leave!" Akari snapped back, her eyes flashing angrily as I glared at her. "I was coming right back! And how the hell did you even get here?" Akari said angrily and I tensed, my mind blank as I tried to come up with a decent excuse.

"I walked." I heard myself say and mentally smacked myself in the head. Perfect.

"You walked." Akari repeated slowly, her anger gone as she looked at me in confusion. "How? You couldn't even twitch without pain earlier." She told me and I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything.

"Akari, now isn't the time. Let's just get back to InuYasha and Kagome before they come after us." Shippo spoke up, as I felt Masaru step up behind me. When Akari's eyes turned to look at Shippo I took my chance and lunged forward, plowing into Akari and knocking her off balance before kicking back at Masaru when I felt him grab the back of my jacket. Giving no time for them to adjust I jumped over Akari and ran to the door, only for Shippo to tackle me around the waist, sending us both to the floor with a crash.

"Good job, Shippo." I heard Akari say as I groaned and struggled against Shippo, ignoring the new pain from my fall.

"Gee thanks," Shippo mumbled into my back as I shoved at his arms. "Why do you like her again?" Shippo asked as he pushed himself up, letting go of me in the process.

"Because," Akari said, grabbing the hood of my jacket and pulling me forward and onto my feet. Before I could catch my balance though, she had me pinned in her arms; my back against her chest.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to kick and punch at Akari but she barely even grunted at my struggles.

"Will you stop already?" Akari yelled, clearly exasperated as I felt her glare two holes into the top of my head.

"No." I answered back in the same tone, earning a laugh from Masaru.

"I like her!" He chirped proudly as he swung the light over to Shippo, who was standing against the wall messing with what looked like a tail or something.

"Shut up!" I snapped, trying to pull out of Akari's grip as she dropped us both to the floor and wrapped her legs around mine, immobilizing me completely. I struggled against Akari for another minute before giving up, choosing to glare at the two boys that had sat down in front of me.

"Calm enough?" Akari asked softly in my ear, making me jump at her voice right next to my ear. Slowly I gave her a nod and she dropped her arms and leaned back. "I want you to promise not to run. Otherwise I'll keep you in my lap." She told me and I felt my face burn as I blushed and nodded again, not trusting my voice. Once my legs were free I darted to the only empty spot available which put Akari on my left and the two boys on my right.

"Now what?" I asked with a snap in my voice that told them that I was still angry even if I wasn't fighting them physically. "And will you please take off those stupid costumes! What are you supposed to be? Animals?" I snapped, looking over at Shippo and Masaru as the starred at me then at each other.

"We, uh, kind of can't?" Masaru ventured, making me narrow my eyes as he gave me a sheepish look and his ears moved back. I blinked and rubbed my eyes.

"They moved." I said, dumbfounded as Masaru made his ears move again, this time making them stand up as he smiled.

"Well yeah, they're real too." He told me and I looked over at Shippo as he huffed and made the three furry appendages stand up and wave, his face bored those his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I'm losing my mind." I whispered as I grabbed my face and rubbed it fiercely in an attempt to wake myself up.

"No, you're not. They're not wearing a Concealment Charm. So the way they look is actually normal." Akari explained with a cautious look as she looked at me then the boys. The longer I looked, the more unbelievable it seemed, even with the proof in front of me.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Masaru asked as I starred first at him then at Shippo.

"You expect me to seriously believe you're all what? Half dog or something?" I asked, my anger coming back full force as I stared at them both. I shoved myself away from the wall so I could stand up and glared over at Akari. "You can't be serious." I said angrily, looking from her to the other two.

"Actually I'm Shippo, but that's not the point." Shippo said with a grin as he shrugged at me. "Akari's point is, we're not human. In fact I'm a full blooded fox demon and these two are half dog demons, though Akari's a black one and Masaru here's a white one." Shippo said and I fell back against the wall, sliding down it to sit down as I tried to wrap my head around the words.

"Dakota?" I dimly heard Akari ask, followed by someone shaking my shoulder. "I think she's in shock. Dakota?" I heard Akari say, followed by more shaking and a bright light in my face.

"This is real?" I whispered hoarsely, looking up at her as fear began to creep up on me.

"Yeah, pretty real." She said with a grim smile as I groaned and put my head back in my hands.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...I don't have a beta! But I have tried to revise any and all the mistakes I found!

...If you found more that I missed, hit me up and I'll try and fix it!

...One last thing! Ch. 7 was written for the most part, while other chapters were edited for grammar and simple mistakes.

* * *

REVIEWS!

To Awesome Guest :

She did, didn't she? Glad to see you back! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

To Daniismybestfriend :

Thanks! And I won't trust me on that.

To angelbaby1415 :

Here you go!

* * *

"You'll sleep in my bed for tonight. Tomorrow I'll get another bed and we'll go from there." Akari said as she tossed another blanket onto the futon in the corner for her to sleep on, looking over her shoulder at Dakota as she dropped the towel around her neck and looked over at the full-size bed. "You've been pretty quiet about all this." Akari said and turned around completely to look at Dakota as the girl tensed and darted her eyes over to Akari before looking back at the bed.

After the group had gotten back, Kagome had immediately jumped into action and taken Dakota to get a shower and eat before allowing a hovering Akari back in; an apologetic smile on her face as she gave Dakota back to Akari. She hadn't realized she had taken off her Concealment Charm until Dakota had gasped at the sight of her. Akari smiled slightly as she remembered the stunned look on the girl's face as she looked at Akari's midnight hair, silver-blue eyes, dog ears, and older features. While she had gaped at Akari, the older girl had looked over Dakota. Dakota looked better now that she was clean and had eaten, something Akari hadn't realized she needed until then. She was wearing an old pair of sky blue, running shorts that seemed a bit to big on her and a white T-shirt, both having come from the twins who she now realized were actually a bit bigger than Dakota, a fact that didn't sit well with Akari.

"I'm still waiting to wake up, I guess." Dakota said softly and shrugged, her fingers twisted in the towel as she starred at the bed.

"Why?" Akari asked, moving over to her desk chair to sit down, giving Dakota her full attention.

"I don't know, it's just all to crazy." Dakota told her and looked over at her with a guarded look.

"I'm not sure what to tell you. Most of the kids or even the adults we find or rescue aren't in the same predicament as you. I mean you're the first we've found that...Well, I'm not even sure how to explain it." Akari said as she motioned to Dakota, wincing at her explanation and waiting for the explosion she knew was going to come from Dakota.

"Yeah...most people aren't me." Dakota laughed harshly, her eyes flaring slightly with anger as she glared at Akari. "I had a plan before you came and messed it all up! If you hadn't decided to help me that day none of this would have happened!" Dakota hissed, making Akari bristle at the comments before she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Why are you so angry?" Akari asked, her voice calmer than how she felt, making Dakota blink and lean back in surprise before it turned into wary confusion.

"Why aren't you?" She countered and Akari smiled before shaking her head.

"Oh I am, trust me. But it's not at you, more at the fact that you seem okay with the fact that you were being abused." Akari said, her voice ending with a snap as she looked at a stunned Dakota.

"I'm not! I mean, I-" Dakota spluttered, trying to come up with an answer before Akari moved forward and grabbed her.

"Don't make excuses. You don't deserve any of that!" She growled in Dakota's face, pinning the girl's eyes with her own in hopes of getting the message across.

"I do though! I'm a-" Dakota started to counter, before clamping her mouth shut with a look of fear.

"You're what?" Akari snarled, gripping Dakota's arms tightly in an attempt to get the girl to stop fighting against her.

"I'm a monster! Okay? Happy?" Dakota yelled back, her whole body going rigid as she starred down at her feet. Akari froze, a look of shock on her face as she starred down at Dakota. "I'm a freakin' monster." Dakota cried softly as tears started to run down her face.

"No, you're not." Akari told her, kneeling down to look the girl in the eye. "Dakota, look at me. You're no monster, if anything you're probably a hanyo like everyone -minus Shippo and Kagome- here." Akari told the girl when she had her attention back on her.

"How are you so sure?" Dakota asked with an unsure whine in her voice and an almost broken look in her eyes.

"Because you obviously stopped aging around the time you hit puberty, you've reacted to my yokia more than once, and you've even used your own yokia before." Akari explained, her voice soft as she looked at the girl and realized just how lost she was. Her whole world had just been ripped out from beneath her, she had had a breakdown and been rescued all in the span of a few hours. "The only thing I can't figure out, is how you've been able to pass as a human for so long." Akari added with a concerned look, her eyes searching Dakota's for an answer.

"What?" Dakota asked softly, her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to catch up with Akari.

"Hanyos, or people born half demon, always have traits of demon in them, be it scent, looks, skills, or something else all together. You don't have any of that, well other than the yokia part and the super healing." Akari said, giving the girl a pointed look since she completely lacked any bruises and her ankle was completely healed. "You look and smell like a human." Akari added in confusion, before standing up and going over to her desk to grab the Concealment Charm there.

"Everyone with yokia and a sane mind wears a Concealment Charm like this. There are some though, who see the human world as a food source and refuse Concealment Charms because they think they're better and shouldn't have to hide from humans." Akari explained, a memory of Suzume and her horde of helpers when she summoned her Lord coming to mind.

"But I don't have one of those," Dakota told Akari as she looked at the charm then up at her.

"I know, that's the confusing part." Akari said as she looked at her charm lost in thought.

"I'm sorry," Dakota blurted out after an eternity of silence causing Akari to look at her in confusion. "I shouldn't have said anything." Dakota went on with a torn look that made Akari frown.

"No it's fine, it's not safe to keep it hidden. Especially for those of us with demon blood." Akari said, giving the small girl a smile. "That's gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past. Still does!" Akari added with a laugh as Dakota nodded and looked away, her hands back to wrapping and unwrapping themselves from the towel around her neck.

"I'm going to bed, I'm kind of tired." Dakota said after a minute, turning away from Akari and climbed into the bed.

"Alright," Akari said slowly, watching the girl struggle for a minute to get in the hammock before settling down to the gentle rocking. "Good night," she added before turning out the light and moving to her futon to think over the small fight they had had.

Neither one slept that night.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari watched as the other's left for school the next, having gotten back up around dawn when Shippo had tapped lightly on her door. Dakota was still upstairs, having finally fallen asleep roughly an hour before Akari had gotten up, so for the time being she had a chance to figure some things out. One of which was the information that Shippo and Masaru had found at Dakota's house.

" _I don't get it_." Shippo said as he tossed the papers back down with a frown. They were in the kitchen looking over the mysterious folder while Kagome took the kids to school and InuYasha went on to work. " _Death certificate, papers on fight clubs, demonology information, and scribbled notes. The only things with Dakota's name on it are the folder and the death certificate, and none of these notes make sense_." Shippo said as he looked away from the notes and up at Akari, who was scanning over the illegal fight papers with narrow eyes.

" _The fight club papers are probably useless_." Akari told him absently before leaning to the side and snagging a muffin with the tips of her claws.

" _Or they could be a clue_." Shippo countered before leafing through the notes again then looking at the certificate. " _These are confusing though. Look, see where it asks for information on Dakota's 'death'? It says she died in '98, sixteen years ago_." Shippo said, pointing at the slot on the papers. " _The cause of death was from a poison that made her heart and lungs melt. Yet there were no visible marks of the source_." He told Akari, tapping the cause of death.

" _I know what you're thinking and I'm saying it isn't._ " Akari started, looking over the fight club papers.

" _A demonic poison is the only possibility that I can think of that would have that affect._ " Shippo interrupted with a shrug before putting the papers in his hands down.

" _That still doesn't explain how Dakota is alive right now. Upstairs. Sleeping. I say it's fake._ " Akari bit out, forcefully taking a bite of her muffin and glaring at Shippo over her papers.

" _I don't know. Kagome didn't really get a chance to look at these but she might know._ " Shippo shrugged as he looked over it again. Both of them knew, the paper was to real to be a simple fake.

" _Why would someone have all this_?" Akari asked with a slightly disgusted look as she read over how brutal some of the more vicious fights were. Shippo shrugged before grabbing a napkin and a random pencil left by one of the pups.

" _We've got some information though._ Joseph _and_ Gwen Cohen _, I'll check around town for the_ Cohen's _and you ask_ Dakota _about that certificate_." Shippo said as he grabbed a muffin and jogged over to the fridge for the bento Kagome made him. " _I'll see you later_."

Akari watched him go before taking a deep breath and looking at the stairs. Her mind was in turmoil, twisting with so many questions that ran rampant in her mind.

" _Enough, I need to focus. Since I'm not going to school, I'll look over the papers again and search the internet._ " She said to herself, shaking herself out of her worries as she headed upstairs to grab the laptop she kept in her desk. One of her favorite things about the present time was the availability of information and the food. It was amazing! Very quietly, she eased the door open and peeked inside to see if Dakota was still asleep before slipping into the room. As she turned to go, something stopped her and kept her in place. " _Okay, one look. Just one. After that I'll go downstairs and stay there until she wakes up._ " Akari told herself silently as she padded over to the breathing pile of blankets with her laptop under her arm.

Dakota was curled up on her side in a ball with a blanket wrapped firmly around her head and shoulders, with her face half hidden by the blanket and her hands. The blanket laid loosely over the rest of her, leaving her feet poking out. Asleep, Akari couldn't help but smile at how cute and relaxed she looked, but at the same time she noticed just how young she looked. Breathing a silent sigh, Akari carefully pulled the cover over Dakota's feet, freezing when the girl moved and started to wake up. Akari froze and waited with baited breath as Dakota settled back into sleep, nuzzling into the blanket with a soft sigh.

" _Yeah, she's cute._ " Akari whispered with amusement as she slipped back out of the room on silent feet.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

I woke up with a yawn, feeling more rested then I had in a while.

"Where am I?" I thought in confusion as I looked at the bed I was in and sat up, causing the memory of yesterday to rush back. I groaned and closed my eyes, embarrassed about the entire situation. "I'm seventeen and I acted like a little kid! That was so embarrassing! She probably thinks I'm pathetic. Hell, I think I'm pathetic!" I mentally groaned as I buried my face in my hands and went over the day before.

"They said they were all demons. Akari said I might be one." I thought, trying to redirect my thoughts. "Yeah, I think they slipped me something or I'm going insane." I thought with a disgusted snort as I shook my head and got out of the bed. I looked over at the window and frowned, from what I could tell it was really late in the morning but not quiet noon yet. I stared out at the scenery outside the window, my mind blank as I tried to ignore everything that had happened.

No matter how hard I tried though, it just came back and started playing over again and again.

"Forget it," I muttered angrily and turned on my heel to face the door. Judging from the lack of sounds either no one was nearby or the place was empty. Either way it was good enough for me. "I need to get out of here. I'm almost eighteen. I'm okay on my own." I thought to myself as I walked out of the room and looked around. The house was definitely bigger than I had originally thought, but at the same time it was also warm and home-y feeling. Something I wasn't used to feeling, even in my own house. As I made my way downstairs, I tried to strain my ears to hear something, but the house was quiet leaving me wondering if I really was alone.

"Good to see you finally awake." A voice said from behind me as I walked into the kitchen.

"AH!" I yelled in surprise, spinning around to see Akari sitting at the bar with a fancy silver laptop and papers. She smirked at my reaction as I my eyes quickly looked her over, lingering on the twin dog ears on her head.

"There's muffin's on the counter and milk and juice in the fridge. Which do you want?" Akari asked in the silence, standing up and walking over to the fridge while I stood in my spot like an idiot.

"Um, milk is fine." I told her as I climbed up onto the stool sitting at the bar, feeling ridiculous that I had to jump to get up but thankful Akari hadn't seen me.

"Here, eat up." Akari said, placing a glass of milk and a muffin in front of me before sitting down. I idly picked at the muffin, not really hungry after having been stuffed by Kagome last night. "Yesterday was pretty crazy, wasn't it?" Akari asked in the silence, making my head snap up to look at her. I notice her wince slightly before her eyes fell to the scattered papers around her.

"You could say that." I said slowly, unsure of where she was going with this.

"Do you have any questions or anything?" Akari asked and I bit my lip. Yeah, I had questions! Who wouldn't? But was it really okay to ask them? I looked down at the torn muffin in front of me, trying to figure out what to say. "We can talk about something else if you want? We don't have to talk about this yet." Akari said hurriedly and I clenched my hands into fists as she treated me as if I were fragile.

"You said I'm probably like you. What did you mean exactly." I asked with a slight edge in my voice as I looked up at her with a determined look. Akari nodded, as if expecting it and quickly moved all the papers and laptop away.

"Well, first off I am a hanyo, a term meaning half-demon or half-breed depending on how it's said. That means, that one of my parents was a demon and the other human. There are hundreds of different types of demons, but for right now we'll focus on just one. I am a half Kuro Inu Yokia, or Black Dog Demon. My mother was a full blooded Kuro Inu and my father was a human." Akari explained like a teacher and I listened avidly but with a bit of confusion.

"But your mom is human, and aren't demons creatures from Hell?" I asked in confusion when Akari paused for breath.

"Kagome is human and my mom but I'm talking about my birth mother and father. Kagome and InuYasha blood adopted me when I was about eleven." Akari said with a half smile as I nodded that I understood. "As for the creatures of Hell, that's both true and false. You see the world was split centuries ago and most of the demons that can't keep a sane mind are kept there. They're the ones that everyone's scared of and normally think of when hearing the word demon." Akari explained further and I frowned as something occured to me.

"But both Joseph and my mom are human. How can I be a 'an-you'?" I asked in confusion and frowned when Akari flinched at my pronunciation.

"Hanyo, and that's what we're trying to figure out." Akari corrected me before leaning over and grabbing a few papers. "One of the things we found is this." Akari said with a touch of uncertainty as she picked one paper out of the papers she had grabbed and slowly slid it over to me.

"It's a death certificate." I dimly heard Akari say as I looked at the paper. "Do you know anything about it?" She asked as I slowly picked the paper up.

"It's fake." I mumbled softly, but even to my untrained eye it looked way to real. "I'm not dead." I said a little louder and looked up at Akari, trying to push down my rising panic as I remembered the note I had read before Akari showed up.

"I know-" Akari started, but I was already babbling.

"I mean, he did say he threw me in a burning car but this says I died of poison. None of that's true. I mean, I'm alive! Right? I'm not just insane and dead?" I babbled, feeling as if everything was just to close. "If I'm dead, I wouldn't be here." I asked in panic and felt arms suddenly wrap around me.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, feeling fear grip me as the arms tightened and lifted me off my seat.

"Dakota, calm down. You're okay." I dimly heard Akari tell me as I clenched my eyes shut and tried to breath. "Breath in on my count. Ready? One, two, three." Akari told me as I tried to fight her, not wanting to be strangled by her.

"Dakota," A voice said in my ear and I flinched, thinking Joseph was back. Suddenly I couldn't even catch a gasp of breath as the fear grew into blind terror as I felt my air get cut off. Suddenly the voice said something different followed by a loosening feeling before it tightened again.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari cursed as she tried to hold Dakota to keep her from hurting herself. As soon as she heard the girl's breath hitch, she knew Dakota was about to go threw a major panic attack. She just didn't realize how bad until Dakota started to claw at her neck and gasp for breath as if she were being strangled. Jumping across the bar, Akari wrapped her arms around the girl, pinning Dakota's arms to her side before dropping to the floor and folding her legs over Dakota's.

"Dakota, calm down. You're okay." Akari said in an attempt to calm the girl as she fought against Akari's hold. "Breath in on my count. Ready? One, two, three." Akari said, forcing herself to do the same as she tried to help. Kagome was better at this! She knew how to handle a pup in a panic attack. Akari had only ever watched, she was lost!

"Dakota," Akari tried again and this time the tiny girl flinched before she stopped breathing altogether. " _Dammit! What do I do?_ " Akari growled, loosening her arms to turn her around just as her computer went off making her jump slightly.

"Dakota, listen to me." Akari said, her voice desperate as she looked down at the unseeing eyes as Dakota's face steadily grew darker. "You. Are. Safe. I swear it. You're not dead. But you will be if you don't start breathing soon." She told the girl, ignoring her computer as she held Dakota in her arms, lost on what to do and reaching for her phone.

Suddenly, Akari froze as Dakota's body shook as she took a shaking breath.

"That's it! Breath!" Akari said with a shaky relief and began to do the 'one, two, three' count Kagome had done for others. Slowly Dakota's tense body relaxed and her eyes closed, signaling she had slipped into a light sleep. Akari sighed in relief, her body turning to jelly as Dakota kept breathing. Being careful, she slowly moved Dakota to one arm and closed her computer, cutting the surprisingly soft music off, before looking around. She couldn't leave Dakota on her own; one reason because it would be dangerous to leave the girl alone at this point, and two she had someone wrapped hands in Akari's shirt without the older one noticing.

" _I'm back!_ " Akari heard Kagome call from outside, just as the front door opened. " _Sorry it took so long, I went and got more groceries an-_ " Kagome paused, coming into the kitchen and looking at her eldest daughter holding their new foundling in one arm and surrounded by a mess.

" _You have no idea what just happened._ " Akari told her as Dakota turned her head towards Akari and whimpered at the noise.


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

To Mary Mab

Thanks for the reviews! For your first one I agree with you! Kagome would do that. And your second, I know it IS sad and what makes it worse it's a common trait. I hope you continue reading and leaving reviews. :-D

\- chapter 9 response

Akari was holding Dakota to keep her from hurting herself. During this, Akari panicked because she didn't know what to do other than hold her and try and get her to breath like she had seen Kagome do in the past. When she reached for her phone to call for help Dakota started breathing again. Kagome came home after Akari calmed Dakota down and saw Akari holding Dakota. Akari, relieved, just looked at her and said the first thing to come to mind. ... I hope that helps! As for the banter, I might be able to drag Light back if you leave another review. :D

ENJOY!

* * *

...I also don't own the game that is mentioned in the chapter. So no suing me please!

* * *

Kagome was torn between smiling in amusement at Akari or helping her, as she watched her oldest daughter walk around the kitchen with Dakota curled up in one arm while she used the other to clean up the mess she had made earlier.

"I still don't see what's so funny." Akari muttered as she wiped up the rest of the spilled milk and threw the dirty paper towel away. "She had a panic attack because of a piece of paper." She added angrily, walking over to where her laptop and the other papers were and motioning for Kagome to follow her.

"You have to remember victims can have panic attacks due to the smallest thing. It's similar to how she came to her abuser's defense and claimed her injuries were accidents. We don't really know why, only that it happens." Kagome explained and didn't miss the way Akari tensed at the mention of abuse before her shoulder's slumped and she absently ran a hand through Dakota's hair.

"Can you look over these? Shippo and I couldn't make sense of most it, but you might." Akari said and watched as Kagome carefully picked up one of the notes and frowned.

"I'll see what I can figure out. Why don't you go upstairs? Did Dakota sleep much last night?" Kagome asked, looking away from the papers and at Akari.

"She fell asleep around five and got back up about an hour ago, so no." Akari told her after glancing at the clock, which read 9:13 AM.

"Hmm, she may sleep for another few hours or she may wake up before then. Either way, she'll need a schedule and clothes to settle in. I'll see if any of the twins clothes will fit." Kagome said absently as she went back to reading the notes, switching them out at random.

"The twins are a bit bigger than her so something small. I'll take her out shopping tomorrow or something." Akari said earning a nod from Kagome before Akari walked out. Making her way to her room she tried again to get Dakota to release her shirt, but found the girl only gripped it more tightly whenever Akari tried. After a minute of trying, Akari gave up and just sat in her bed, trying to get comfortable and hopeful ease out of Dakota's grasp when the girl slipped into a deeper sleep.

" _Those stupid notes keep bugging me._ " Akari thought with annoyance and felt her demon surface a bit as she mentally recalled the scribbled words on the papers. " _Blood swapping, curses, and chemical formulas. It looks like something out of a mad scientist's book._ " Akari added and felt her demon agree with her before speaking.

" **There's a lot of medical stuff as well. Perhaps the writer was insane.** " Her demon said and Akari couldn't help but agree, but it still bothered her.

" _Earlier, Dakota said something about a burning car. Does that mean someone tried to kill her?_ " Akari asked her demon, frowning at the possibility as she mentally listed slow and painful deaths to do to whoever tried to kill the tiny girl.

" **Possibly, but about that death certificate. It's to real to be fake so another possibility would be our Dakota could be someone else all together.** " Akari's inner demon said making Akari's confusion grow a bit as she tried to figure out what she meant. " **It's easy to forge documents and if she was taken as a baby no one would question it. This Joseph and Gwen Cohen could simply say Dakota was sick for a while, when in reality their pup died and they kidnapped another that looked enough like her to say it was theirs. No one would question it if it were all kept under wraps.** " Akari's inner demon explained and Akari nodded even as she felt her face pale then burn in anger as she thought it over.

" _If that's the case. Who is Dakota?_ " Akari asked and looked down at the girl that had slipped out of her arm but was still curled up against her side and holding onto her shirt.

After a while Akari managed to slip out of the bed, using one of her biggest pillows to replace her so Dakota didn't wake up right away. Her inner demon's words and Dakota's words were bothering her, so when she slipped out of the bed she immediately headed downstairs to Kagome.

" _Where did you put Dakota's old clothes?_ " She asked with a slight scowl when she found the woman in the meeting room surrounded by the notes and a few very very old leather books and scrolls.

" _I threw them out. Why?_ " Kagome asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked up at Akari and sneezed.

" _Something's bugging me, and I wanted to see if I was right._ " Akari told her while crossing her arms.

" _Unless the twins took out the trash, they should still be in a bag in the laundry room by the back door._ " Kagome told her before returning to the project in front of her. Akari nodded before heading to the small room. Once she was there, it wasn't hard to find the small garbage bag with Dakota's destroyed clothes in them. Uncertain on what she would find, she slowly ripped the bag open and pulled the clothes out. Dakota's shirt had a giant hole through it and was stiff with dried blood, her pants though lacking any distinct holes was also stiff with blood while her jacket was just ripped and useless. But Akari wasn't looking at that, instead she was looking at the black burns that she had missed yesterday. Dakota's lower pants legs were singed and the edges of her shirt were black with burn trials weaving around and through the blood stains.

" _How did I miss this?_ " She asked herself as she looked at the clothes, noticing the underlying scent of smoke hidden by the coppery scent of blood.

" _InuYasha's right, for all we know she was part of Kichiro-san's death. We don't know anything really_." Shippo's words repeated in the back of Akari's head as she looked at the clothes and thought over all the information they had.

Dakota was Kitsune's child. Akari was stunned, she wasn't sure what to do or if she could do anything. She wanted to be wrong but even she couldn't turn a blind eye to how all the facts were stacked against her. Swallowing stiffly, Akari quickly threw the clothes back in the bag and put it off to the side to show the others later. Walking out of the room and into the kitchen, Akari quickly made two bowls of ramen before walking upstairs.

" **What are you going to do? Confront her? If she had a hand in Kichiro's death she could easily attack us.** " Her inner demon told her as she stopped in front of her door, conflicted.

" _But she's still just a pup. What if I'm wrong?_ " Akari argued back but even she knew it was a weak argument. Sighing she turned around and went back downstairs to think, putting the untouched ramen on the table she headed outside to think. " _I need to tell the others._ " Akari thought, her phone suddenly weighing her down as she put her had in her pocket to retrieve it and held it in front of her. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, uncertainty and duty to her pack weighing on her as she looked at the phone.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

It had been a couple of days since Akari had brought me to her house and I couldn't help but notice how distant Akari had suddenly become. After I had woken up from my incident, I had crept downstairs and found Kagome in the kitchen. She had smiled and asked how I was feeling. She didn't seem to believe me when I said I was fine, but she had left me alone and told me she was going to pick up the other kids and that Akari was around somewhere so not to wonder off.

I had shrugged at her mother hen mode and watched her leave before going back upstairs to be alone. When I had gotten back in Akari's room, I noticed a set of small clothes on the corner of the bed and that her pallet on the other side of the room was gone. I had absently wondered when she had been in the room before switching out of my clothes and into the small blue jeans and plain maroon t-shirt.

When the others had all returned they had dragged me off to play an incredibly fast and difficult form of tag, leaving their Concealment Charms off as they jumped and dashed around, easily leaving me gasping for breath. As we ran around, it was easy to forget my problems and just focus on catching them. And I couldn't help but feel thankful for it.

They had managed to keep me distracted for most of the day but when nightfall came, I was reminded once again that I wasn't really part of them.

"Sup Shorty!" Masaru greeted as I walked into the kitchen the next day. I glared at him as he made a big show of choking on his bacon and falling to the floor. "Looks can kill!" He moaned from behind the bar and I couldn't help but smile a little as I climbed up onto a stool across from him.

"You're annoying." I told him as he stood up with a grin.

"And ridiculously handsome." He added with a smirk before passing me a plate of bacon and eggs and a glass of milk. "Eat up or you'll vanish." He told me and I rolled my eyes but grabbed a piece of bacon so he wouldn't bug me.

"Why aren't you at school with the others?" I asked as I absently munched on my breakfast and he did the same.

"Akari told me to stay here with you." He said with a shrug as I looked down at my foot. "I think I got the better end of the deal anyway. Now I can convert you to the pranking side." He said in a serious voice that made me look up and see his proud grin.

"Hurry up and finish, Shippo's room's first. That jerk took the last Poptart." He told me and I rolled my eyes before pushing my mostly unfinished plate away.

"I'm full," I told him feeling ridiculous that I had felt hurt at Akari leaving. She's got her own life and I've got mine.

"Mmm, alright. C'mon," he said and jogged towards a room I hadn't noticed before but immediately learned was the laundry room. "That reminds me, we've got to get you some clothes later." Masaru told me as he grabbed a handful of dry laundry soap and grinned at me.

"Grab a couple handfuls and don't let any spill." He told me before running out of the room. I let a small grin rest on my face before grabbing a handful and following Masaru upstairs to Shippo's room. "Hey, I'm sprinkling it on the floor and in his bed, you get his clothes. This jerk is going to be itchy as hell!" Masaru laughed evilly as he lightly sprinkled laundry detergent all over the place. I watched him for a second, grinning a bit, before turning to Shippo's chest -one similar to the one that sat at the foot of Akari's bed- and opening it to reveal neat stacks of clothes.

"Might as well." I thought and carefully sprinkled my handfuls onto the clothes, making sure to get as many of the shirts and pants as possible.

After about an hour of setting up a variety of pranks and learning the ins and outs of a good prank, Shippo's room was set to explode.

"C'mon, let's go play a video game or something in the living room." Masaru said, grabbing my shoulder and gently pulled me along.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Hanging out with Masaru wasn't that bad, he didn't treat me like a little kid or like a playmate of sorts. He treated me like an equal and didn't push me to talk like Kagome or to listen to him like Akari. It was actually pretty nice and I dreaded the time when Akari returned a little after two.

"What's on your mind?" Masaru asked as he grabbed a fire flower before I could get it. I glared at his character before urging mine to run ahead of his.

"Nothing." I muttered. "Except trying to get a mushroom or a power up." I told him making him laugh under his breath as he urged Mario to chase the blue toad.

"First come, first serve." He told me as he jumped and twisted his controller, making Mario grab a giant coin. I rolled my eyes and scanned the screen for a mystery box or something. "Hey!" Masaru yelled indignantly as I jumped on a turtle shell and sent it at him, making him lose his power up.

"I see how it is." Masaru muttered in a playful growl as he lifted my character up and threw me before I could escape.

"Hey!" I yelled at him as Toad died and he laughed. "Pop me!" I told him, shaking my controller and trying to get my Toad to his Mario.

"Nuh uh, maybe later." He told me with a grin and leaned to the side. I narrowed my eyes at him before getting up on my knees and reaching for his remote. "What are you doing?" He asked as he dodged my swipe and knocked me off balance enough to land on him.

"Making you die." I grunted as I made another swipe for the remote, this time grabbing Masaru to keep my balance as he held it out of my reach.

"Never." He said with a smirk and casually pushed me off of him and back into my spot, though now I was on my back. Without missing a beat, I rolled off the couch and stood back up, moving to tackle him again and disrupt his game, only to have him lift a sock covered foot and hold me back by putting it on my chest.

"Ew! Jerk!" I squealed in disgust as I shoved his foot off of me and glared at him.

"Thought so," Masaru said a little too triumphantly. Giving him no warning, I launched myself at him, managing to land on top of him and knock us both off of the couch. The controller clattered a few feet away and we both scrambled for it, shoving the other in an attempt to get it first.

"Help my Toad!" I snapped at him, brushing the tip of the remote before Masaru pulled me back.

"Never!" He said moving past me as I grabbed his hair and pulled back while scooting forward. "Ow! Let go Shorty!" He commanded and grabbed me around the waist, lifting me off of my feet as he stood up.

"Let ME go!" I demanded right back and both of us glared at the other, neither willing to release the other first. "I'll grab your ears next, Fuzzy." I said in a low tone and saw him smirk just as he fake dropped me. I immediately let go of his hair and grabbed his Victory sweater, ignoring his laughter as I kicked his leg. This time he really did let go, and I stumbled a bit on my feet before glaring up at him.

"As much as I probably deserved that, you shouldn't have done it." Masaru said and I felt my jaw drop as I looked at him.

"You tried to drop me!" I snapped back at him, only to earn a shrug.

"I was playing," Masaru said calmly and I snapped by jaw shut with a click. "C'mon, let's get some lunch before Akari gets here." He added, walking past me and ruffling my short hair.

"Don't do that!" I told him as I followed behind him.

"I'm thinking a sandwich, you?" Masaru asked, acting like nothing had happened as he pulled out things to make a ham sandwich. I shrugged in response since I wasn't really hungry.

"I'm not that hungry, I think I'll just go upstairs." I told Masaru, glancing at the clock when he wasn't looking to check the time.

"No can do, you barely touched your breakfast so you have to eat lunch." Masaru told me with a smile and motioned to the bar with a butter knife covered in Mayonnaise. "If you want, I can cut it into pieces for you?" He teased and I gave him a glare as he laughed.

"I'm seventeen, not six." I told him and climbed up onto a chair, laying my head on the counter as I watched him make three very thick sandwiches before starting on a smaller one.

"What would you like on it? Ham, pickles, mayo, mustard? You name it and I can try to whip it up." Masaru joked and I rolled my eyes, hiding my twitching lips behind my arms as I looked at him.

"Just ham is fine." I told him and he nodded before putting a few slices on the bread before passing it and another glass of milk to me. "What's up with Akari? First she was a hovering lunatic and now she acts like I'm a disease or something." I asked Masaru while he chewed on his sandwich.

"Akari's weird like that." Masaru told me and I frowned at his answer. "See, she's worried about you but she doesn't want you to think she's babying you or anything." He added and motioned to my uneaten sandwich.

"Though if you don't start eating more, I think she'll switch back to 'hovering lunatic' and shove food down your throat." He joked and I glared at him before taking a bite of the sandwich, making a big show of doing so. "See? Soon you'll be eating as much as the rest of us!" He grinned as I took a sip of the milk to wash down the dry bread.

"Whatever, I'm fine eating the amount I have been." I told him and shrugged when he raised an eyebrow and started on his second sandwich. "I'm not a big eater, I don't eat until everyone's done." I added and breathed a silent sigh of relief when Masaru didn't question me further.

" _I'm back!_ " Akari's voice called from the front door and I jumped a little at her silent entry before putting my half eaten sandwich down.

"Yo! We're in here." Masaru called back and I debated on leaving the room before Akari could come in and start avoiding me again.

"Hey, how was your day." Akari asked, glancing at me with a strange look before turning to Masaru.

"Bah, it was fun. Didn't you say you wanted to take Dakota out though?" Masaru asked and I frowned as Akari turned red and glared at her younger brother.

"Yeah, but that was a surprise _you asshole._ " Akari said, and judging from the way the last part sounded I highly doubted it was nice.

"Well surprise ruined. Now go, I've got pranks to set up before Mom and Dad get home." Masaru waved at us, seeming completely unaffected by Akari and the surrounding tension in the room. Maybe I had been wrong about what she said? Either way, her attention was now on me which was really uncomfortable.

"So, where are we going?" I asked and mentally berated myself at how stupid I sounded.

"I was thinking about getting you some clothes and stuff, so you don't have to borrow the twins's clothes." Akari said and I closed my mouth to keep from arguing.

"I'll pay you back when I get the chance." I told her, unsure of how I was going to do it but determined not to make myself a burden.

"You don't have to." Akari told me with a shrug and seemed to debate with something before nodding towards the stairs. "Go change real quick and then we'll go." She told me and even though it irked me to be given orders, I took the chance to slip away from the tense atmosphere immediately.

`.`.`.`.`.`.``.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V Change`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari felt her shoulders drop as soon as Dakota vanished out of sight.

" _You should really stop avoiding her. Even she's noticed it._ " Masaru said from his new spot on the other side of the bar. Akari tensed slightly before glaring at the younger hanyo as he fixed a sandwich.

" _Shut up, Masaru. I'm not avoiding her._ " Akari growled at him as she dropped down on a seat.

" _Sure looks like it to me._ " He said while passing her the sandwich he had made. " _She isn't dangerous. She's just a pup, literally, and after spending the day with her and getting her to just relax I can say that._ " Masaru added, waving the dirty butter knife in front of him as he cleaned up.

" _That's not true! There are too many coincident with her to not have something to do with Kitsune._ " Akari snapped and felt Masaru's yokia flash angrily against her own.

" _She's a pup! And I say she's innocent! The only thing she's guilty of is not eating enough because of the damn abuse!_ " Masaru snarled at her and Akari slammed her hands down on the bar, standing up and glaring down at the younger male. " _She's been abused. Even you admitted that. Give her a chance before you condemn her or I swear you and I will fight and it won't end well._ " Masaru threatened, not backing down as he starred up at Akari. Just before things could go any further both heard quiet footsteps come their way. Akari angrily shoved herself away from the bar, giving Masaru one last warning glare as he starred back at her.

"Ready to go?" Masaru suddenly asked, his anger slipping away as he grinned at someone behind Akari with his usual playful air back in place.

"Sure," Dakota muttered and Akari turned to look at her as she fixed the bright green shirt she was wearing and looked between them both with her brow furrowed. Akari knew the tiny girl had probably heard them arguing but didn't say anything.

"Let's go," Akari said instead and walked past Dakota, waiting at the door for the girl to catch up and put her shoes on.


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

To Awesome Guest

Thanks! I hope you enjoy the future chapters just as much as the others. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think!

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

 **Dark:** Get in here! *second person shuffles around and mutters* Shut up, you already promised! Ready? One, two, three!

 **Both:** WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS! WE HOPE YOUR FANFICTIONS LAST FOREVER AND YOUR FANDOM NEVER DIES!

 **Light:** Stay safe everyone!

 **Dark:** Thanks, Light. Here's your candy.

 **Light:** Yesh! *Jerks candy away and chows down.* Oh, right! Leave a review down below!

* * *

...

InuYasha sat on the porch with Akari and Shippo watching the pups run around the yard playing before dinner. InuYasha was amused to see all of them getting along, even Dakota, who had been against interacting with the others was even playing with them. InuYasha watched as Keade sneaked up behind Dakota, who was distracted by Izayoi trying to tag her.

"Tag!" Keade yelled as she tapped Dakota on the back took off running, running right into Celt as he jumped out from behind one of the large bushes Kagome had planted around the backyard.

" _I can't see her as a threat._ " Shippo spoke up as they watched Dakota try to tackle Izayoi only to hit the ground when the other girl jumped above her. Dakota, surprisingly, laughed before jumping back to her feet and giving chase, Ame following close behind with Emily being dragged by her wrist.

" _I know, but at the same time..._ " Akari whispered, her eyes following Dakota and the others as they ran at each other before dispersing again to hide from each other, Ame and Emily both hiding in a bush a few feet from the porch. InuYasha grunted and moved in his spot, drawing the two oldest's attention to him.

" _For now, we carry on. You need to fix your mistake with the kid._ " InuYasha said in a low voice as he stood up and looked at Akari, who had her head bowed. " _Ignore what you've figured out about Kitsune and leave him to us. Keep your attention on Dakota._ " He added and sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he did.

" _She's not like the rest of the pack with an easy choice. She's been abused and is somehow holding her own demon blood back because of it. You're the only one that she will get close to, so use that to help her._ " InuYasha went on to explain, ignoring the sounds of the pups playing as he looked down at Akari while Shippo took that chance to slip inside to check on Masaru and Kagome.

" _I can't!_ " Akari snapped back with a slight whine, looking up at InuYasha with wide eyes.

" _Stop arguing and do it._ " InuYasha growled as he looked down at Akari with a glare before it softened and he put a hand on her shoulder. " _Kagome and I are here for you, but you've claimed her as your pup._ " InuYasha told her kindly and Akari bit her lip.

" _What does that even mean? How did I claim her?_ " Akari asked in confusion and InuYasha shook his head.

" _I can't answer that. It's something you have to answer yourself._ " InuYasha said and looked out at the pups just as Ame tackled Keade from behind and scared the girl into running into Dakota causing a domino effect where Dakota fell on top of Izayoi and Celt creating a dog pile.

"Wee!" Emily yelled as she ran over to the pile of pups and jumped on top of all of them, causing a loud groan to emerge from them.

"Oi! Let's eat Pups!" He yelled, causing a massive scramble as everyone fought each other to stand up and race to the house for food. InuYasha nodded at Akari again, before walking inside, leaving her to her thoughts as everyone else raced after him.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Come to me." A voice whispered softly, calling me out of sleep. I groaned and rolled over to face the window, trying to fall back asleep yawning as a warm smell rolled over me. "Come to me, bury your sorrow. I'll welcome you with open arm." The voice said as I opened my eyes slightly and looked around the blurry room lit by the faint glow of the waning moon.

"What'z it?" I grumbled as the whisper started again. "Go 'way." I growled and rolled back over, facing the wall and burying my face under the pillow to escape the thick smell that was quickly becoming annoying.

"Will you join me?" The voice asked sending a chill down my spine as I burrowed under the covers. "I can feel the cold hand of death and the end drawing near." It whispered making me tense slightly at it's words.

"What?" I asked, sitting up and looking around the room as wakefulness hit me completely. "Who's there?" I whispered, ignoring the fear that made the shadows look like creatures ready to leap at me.

"Someone's probably messing with me." I thought as I forced myself out of the bed and crept to the door. "What was that?" I thought as I spun around in panic, a large shadow having passed over the window when I had walked to the door.

"Open up and let me in." The voice whispered as I starred at the window that seemed way to bright in the dark room.

"It's all in my head. I'm going crazy." I thought as I starred at the window, looking out at the dark forest and pale moon as I stood rooted to my spot.

"Come to me," the voice whispered sending a chill down my spine as I starred at the window.

"I've seen to many scary movies; I'm not going to the window." I muttered even as I took a slow step forward. "I'll take a quick look then go get someone. This is so stupid." I told myself as I inched to the window and pushed the see through curtains aside.

"See? Nothing. I'm being pranked is all." I told myself with a shaky laugh before it snagged in my throat.

"Dakota." The shadow whispered, suddenly appearing in front of the somehow open window. He was bigger then I remembered, looking down at me with a cold smile that froze me in place. He slowly bent down to my eye level and lightly brushed my face. "Did you really think I was gone?" Joseph whispered, pulling something out of his pocket as he gave me an almost soft look, as if he were talking to a small child.

"You should've stayed dead!" He suddenly hissed, grabbing me around the throat and trying to pull me out of the window. I clawed at his hands, somehow getting myself loose and stumbled backwards, tripping over my own feet as my eyes locked onto the knife that glittered from the moonlight as Joseph climbed into the window.

"Monster!" He snarled at me, his usually green eyes replaced with bright red orbs of fire as he flipped the knife in his hand. "Freak! No one cares about you." He hissed at me as I crawled backwards, hoping to get to the door that was somewhere behind me.

"N-no! A-Akari does!" I stuttered out fearfully and flinched when he laughed and stood over me.

"Does she really?" He asked as he dropped down and swung the knife towards my throat.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Akari!" I gasped as I shot up and fell out of bed, a scream for help trapped in my throat. The room was still dark, the moon was no longer visible through the window, though it's glow was still visible outside. I tried to force my breathing to slow, a hand wrapped around my throat to reassure myself no knife was there, but everything seemed to close and it was difficult to do so. I jerked myself to my feet and looked at the window, wanting to open it but scared of what might be on the other side of the window. Suddenly I froze, my breathing stopping, when I heard the door to the bedroom start to open.

"Dakota?" The familiar voice of Akari whispered through the dark crack of the door as I heaved a sigh of relief. "You okay?" She asked, as the door swung open as she came into the room with a dim light in her hand.

"Y-yeah," I whispered, my voice shaking badly as I relaxed and turned away from the window, quickly picking up the blanket and putting it back on the bed. "What's with the light?" I asked, trying to distract myself and her so she wouldn't ask why my voice was so shaky.

"Power went off while InuYasha and the guys were out on patrol so they're checking it out." Akari said nonchalantly and I nodded, feeling her eyes on me.

"You okay? I thought I heard-" She started and I bit my lip.

"I'm fine." I said quickly, trying to reassure myself more than convince her at that point, and could see her give me a look that said she didn't believe me. "It was...just a dream." I added after a minute and forced myself to take a deep breath as the memory of Joseph's appearance in my dream came to the forefront of my mind bringing with it the fear from it as well.

"Want to talk about it?" Akari asked slowly and I hesitated, part of me was urging me to say yes, to just tell her the dream but another part of was scared of what the dream had said. I didn't really understand the part that wanted to tell her, though it had been popping up more often the longer I was around her and any of the other kids. It made me feel vulnerable and it scared me, but at the same time it was nice.

"I...no, not really." I finally said as I climbed into bed and watched as Akari nodded as if she understood before putting the dim light down on the nightstand and sitting down on the bed.

"I get dreams like that too sometimes." She said and I let a bitter smile touch my face as I scooted over so she would have more room.

"I don't believe you." I told her as the echos of the dream repeated and she shrugged.

"It's true. One time I had this dream where I got buried in paperwork and pillows, and I kept getting cuts that would fill with feathers." Akari said in a serious tone and I snorted at the mental image of Akari covered in paper and feathers. "That one was freaky." She added and looked down at me with a soft smile that made me return it before blushing and looking away.

"More like weird," I told her, pulling the covers up as I turned on my side and put my back to her. "What other dreams have you had?" I asked before I could stop myself and tensed when she didn't answer.

"Well there was one where me and my best friend Hohen were running around trying to catch a neko named Riku but that one's kind of stupid." I heard Akari say with a soft laugh and hesitantly turned over to look at her. "That dream reminds me of the time I got in a snowball fight with InuYasha when I was younger. Masaru had just been born and we were all outside enjoying the fresh snow when I accidentally dropped some snow on him from where I had been sitting on a tree." Akari told me, her voice soft as she told the story of how InuYasha had pulled her out of the tree and tossed her into a snow back before both had started throwing snow at each other.

Before I even realized it, my eyes grew heavy and Akari started to run her claws gently through my hair, brushing it back and putting me at ease as I drifted back to sleep.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _Akari?_ " Shippo whispered through the door, lightly tapping on it before easing it open. With the dim light it was easy to see Akari sitting on her bed with Dakota asleep next to her, the older female lightly running her fingers through the girl's short hair.

" _So what was it?_ " Akari whispered, carefully easing out of the bed and walking over to Shippo.

" _Someone cut the power lines._ " Shippo told her as he lead her out of the room and shut the door. " _InuYasha and I caught the scent of an unknown demon circling the house and where the lines were cut. Him and Masaru are fixing the lines, I came up here to tell you and Kagome the news._ " Shippo added and Akari nodded before frowning as Dakota's dream popped in her head.

" _Who's yokia is that?_ " Shippo asked as he walked into the room and looked around as he felt the slowly fading yokia.

" _Dakota's, she had a nightmare and her yokia flared. I came up here to check on her._ " Akari said with a concerned frown as she looked down at the sleeping girl curled up against her.

" _Alright, you'll probably need to start teaching her how to control it soon if she's using it in her sleep._ " Shippo said as both walked out of the bedroom and downstairs. " _The whole situation with the lines being cut bugs me. Any ideas on it?_ " He asked, changing the subject as they walked into the kitchen to find Kagome trying to fix a pot of tea just as a low hum started through the house.

" _Maybe,_ " Akari said with a scowl before she looked at Kagome and noticed the bags under her eyes. " _You okay?_ " Akari asked in concern, only to be waved off by Kagome just as InuYasha and Masaru walked inside.

" _The lines are fixed for now._ " InuYasha growled as he walked over to Kagome and pulled her into his arms, stopping her from doing anything. " _Masaru,_ " he growled with his face buried in Kagome's hair, causing the quiet boy to jump in his mother's place and finish making the tea.

" _Do you think the lines were a distraction?_ " Akari spoke up, causing InuYasha to look at her with a slight frown as he thought about it.

" _Dunno, it's possible._ " InuYasha said in a low tone and Kagome frowned, moving to get out of InuYasha's arms only to stop when the hanyo huffed and pulled her into his lap instead when he sat down in a chair.

" _Did either of you two find anything?_ " InuYasha asked the two boys, and Masaru nodded drawing everyone's attention as he passed around cups of hot tea.

" _While I was circling the house I caught the scent of smoke and something else by a couple of the windows. Before I could check further I heard something rush past and tried to follow it. They left a small scent trail for about ten yards before it stopped._ " Masaru told everyone, looking guilty as he sat down in his spot next to Shippo and looked at the head of the table to InuYasha.

" _Why would someone come here? And what would they want?_ " Kagome asked softly, looking around at the confused faces.

" _Masaru, what windows did you smell that scent at?_ " Akari asked Masaru, who gave her a confused look.

" _The meeting room and your room. And before you ask it wasn't cigarette smoke._ " Masaru said and leaned back with his arms crossed, tapping his chin as he thought over something. " _I've smelled the smoke somewhere before but the second scent was new. It was really sweet but left my nose feeling as if I had been in the Red Light Districts back home._ " Masaru told them and everyone fell silent, sipping their tea as each thought over what had happened.

" _How did I not notice someone sniffing around the house?_ " Akari finally snapped angrily, slamming her glass down and breaking it into pieces.

" _Akari-_ " Kagome started, reaching out to place a comforting hand on the girl's fists.

" _No. This house is full of defenseless pups. As the one that was left behind to protect everyone this is my fault._ " Akari growled, glaring at the glass shards as warm tea dripped down onto her sweatpants.

" _You're right._ " InuYasha spoke up, causing Kagome to gasp in slight anger while Akari looked up in surprise. " _That means you'll fix it next time._ " InuYasha said in a calm tone, ignoring Kagome's mild glare and the boys looks of confusion. " _For now, go upstairs and take care of your pup. Boys keep an eye on the others as well, Kagome and I will handle the watch tonight._ " InuYasha ordered, earning quick nods from the boys before they darted off while Akari bowed her head and stood up to clean her mess.

" _I'll handle Akari right now, you go on to bed. I'll be there in a minute._ " Kagome whispered as both parents watched Akari quickly and carefully clean up the broken glass and liquid. InuYasha grunted a reply before giving Kagome a kiss and walking off, stopping just out of sight of the doorway leading into the hallway that held the stairway, living room entrance, Master bedroom entrance, and meeting room entrance.

" _Want to talk?_ " Kagome asked as Akari threw the glass into the trash and washed her hands.

" _What if they had gotten inside and meant harm? I wouldn't have even noticed until to late._ " Akari whispered, leaning against the sink and putting her face into her still wet hands.

" _But they didn't. Everyone's safe, and InuYasha and I are going to do everything we can to keep it that way._ " Kagome reassured her daughter, pulling her into a hug as she talked.

" _Kami I'm such a mess._ " Akari muttered as she sniffed loudly and hugged Kagome tightly.

" _We'll just blame it on hormones and torture the men._ " Kagome joked, eliciting a weak laugh from Akari as the young woman pulled away and wipe her tears.

" _Right,_ " Akari weakly laughed. " _I'm going to go keep an eye on Dakota. I'll see you in the morning._ " Akari told Kagome, kissing her mother good night before vanishing upstairs.

" _You think it was Kitsune, don't you?_ " Kagome asked softly as she turned off the kitchen lights and locked the door, putting a several powerful ofuda around the door and window to form a barrier before walking over to InuYasha.

" _Yes, I think he knows we're getting closer to him and he gave us a warning tonight. You and the pups were alone. Like Akari said, he could have easily gotten in the house and hurt everyone without any of us knowing._ " InuYasha told her in a low tone as he followed her around the house, acting as her body guard as she put ofuda everywhere.

" _As much as I hate it, it makes sense._ " Kagome muttered tiredly and sighed, her hand resting on the last ofuda needed on to create the barrier that would cover the house. " _But why now? He's been quiet ever since Kichiro-san passed. What brought him out?_ " Kagome asked with a frown and InuYasha shrugged, lifting her up bridal style and giving her a smirk when she squeaked in surprise.

" _Don't worry about it right now. Get some sleep Wench._ " He commanded as he walked into their bedroom and dropped down on their massive bed.

" _What if I don't want to? Gonna make me?_ " Kagome teased as she cuddled up to him and gave him a smirk of her own.

" _Damn right I will._ " InuYasha growled as he rolled over on top of her and gave her a long kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

To **Mary Mab** :

Haha! Glad to see you back! Good luck at school! :) And Dakota and Akari are both stubborn -though Dakota seems a bit more prideful- so who knows? Oh, wait...I do...that didn't work then did it? ANYWAY! Here's your next chapter, though Kagome and InuYasha probably won't be as 'ahem' sparky. Lol enjoy!

* * *

...,,,...,,,

After last night I was a little irritated with getting up with everyone as they were getting ready for their day at six in the morning. I didn't see the reason I needed to get up, and would gladly go back to bed to get some more sleep if it weren't for the fact Akari was 'babysitting' me for the day and wouldn't let me. Currently we were both sitting outside near a few rose bushes that Izayoi and I had used to hide from Celt the day before. The sun was about halfway to it's peak and already I could feel it was going to be an unusually warm day for November, but then again it was the South.

"This is pointless! Why am I doing this again?" I asked irritably, trying to keep my mind from wandering as Akari sighed and looked at me. I crossed my arms and gave her a glare, waiting for an answer.

"Because you need to learn how to control your yokia." She told me as I fidgeted in place, not used to sitting cross-legged for very long. "It's easy. See?" She asked and I felt a small flare of warmth, that I knew was her yokia, come from her.

"Easy for you to say. I'm human, not hanyo." I snapped at her and made to stand up.

"Dakota," Akari said calmly and I paused to look at her, a bit surprised she wasn't getting aggravated with me yet. "Just try, if you don't get it in another hour then we'll stop for the day." Akari compromised and I stopped, thinking over the offer.

"If we stop for the day, then that means we'll probably do this again tomorrow. But that leaves me to do whatever I want for the rest of the day too." I thought to myself, sitting back and crossing my arms as I thought it over.

"What if I manage to do something?" I asked her and she shrugged in response, making me clench my teeth in annoyance.

"Like you said, your human so probably nothing." She said and I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out if she was egging me on or just being blunt.

"Whatever." I muttered and made myself comfortable, crossing my arms and bowing my head with my eyes closed, before evening my breathing out.

"What am I even doing? At this rate I'll fall asleep outside." I thought to myself as I tried to 'feel my yokia' as Akari put it. The only thing I could feel was annoyed and tired, not a great combo.

"You're not focusing." I heard Akari said with a light tone that made me growl at her before shifting a bit, uncrossing my arms and balancing my chin on one hand, leaving the other to rest in my lap.

"I still say it's pointless." I muttered with my eyes closed but none the less tried to focus my thoughts into some sense of order so I wouldn't jump from thought to thought.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari looked over at Dakota after several long minutes of silence, wondering if the girl had fallen asleep. As she did she couldn't help but notice how much healthier Dakota looked. Her hair, while still short, was clean and was a messy mix of black and brown and stuck up randomly, her pale white skin had darkened to a light tan and had a healthy glow to it thanks to the food Akari and Kagome forced onto her. And although still small, she had gained some weight and Akari hadn't felt her ribs as prominently as before rescuing Dakota, when Dakota had cuddled against her in her sleep the night . Akari could also tell she was happier there too, even though she still acted defensively around everyone. Before bringing her to the home, Akari had never seen Dakota smile, or been able to approach her without Dakota getting jumpy or being hurt. Sure she was still a bit jumpy whenever someone raised their voice or moved to suddenly but it wasn't near as bad as it could be. Dakota had even opened up a bit; playing with the other pups and last night's dream being prime examples.

Akari was glad Dakota was getting better, but she was also worried last night's intruder was bothering her. Something about how his scent had lingered at her window worried her. Had the attacker been searching for a way in? And why were her room and the meeting room the only places the scent lingered?

" _This whole mess smells suspicious._ " Akari thought to herself as she carefully shifted her own position a bit, her legs starting to fall asleep from being so still.

" **Yes, but for now InuYasha said to focus on Dakota.** " Akari's inner demon spoke up, breaking through Akari's thoughts.

" _Yeah, but how do I get her yokia to emerge. For that matter how is she even holding it back?_ " Akari wondered as she focused back on Dakota, who seemed to have finally figured out how to meditate and not fall asleep.

" **Attack her.** " Her demon suddenly said, making Akari immediately form protests against the idea. " **The only time we've even felt her yokia is when she believes she's in danger or when she's angry. Clearly your idea of 'soul searching' isn't working.** " Her demon countered and Akari had to admit -grudgingly- that she was right. The only time Akari had felt Dakota's yokia was during times of stress. But she wasn't willing to put Dakota in any kind of danger to draw out her yokia, or get her angry enough to lash out. She didn't want to lose the fragile trust she had gotten from her.

Before Akari could continue on her train of thought with her inner demon, she felt a small flicker of yokia and blinked in surprise. It was odd watching because Dakota seemed completely unaware of what was happening, her breathing indicated she was still meditating. Akari wouldn't have worried if she hadn't saw a small droplet of blood drip out of Dakota's nose.

"Dakota?" Akari whispered softly, crawling towards the girl as she began to sense the small flicker of yokia fade. Akari watched Dakota carefully, trying to figure out what was going on while at the same time getting closer to the girl. "Dakota?" Akari said softly as tentatively, Akari gently grasped the girl's shoulder. As soon as her hand made contact though she snapped her hand back when Dakota flinched back, falling to her side and blinking rapidly to regain her bearings.

"Don't do that!" She tried to snap but it came out rather shaky as she wiped her nose absently but didn't look at her hand. Akari stayed where she was for a second, looking at Dakota, trying to see if she was actually ok. "Take a picture, it lasts longer." Dakota muttered while sitting back up, brushing her arms off as she did.

"That's enough for today." Akari said in a low tone, mentally wincing when Dakota tensed and gave her a cautious look. "You did good, I felt a little bit of yokia." Akari praised, wincing again but for a different reason when Dakota's face lit up from the praise before she tried to cover it.

"Whatever, I'm going to go read or something." Dakota said in a bored tone but Dakota could smell and see her happiness even if she tried to hide it.

"Alright, I'm going to find Kagome. The other's will be home soon." Akari said and ruffled Dakota's hair as she walked past, ignoring the idignant sound of protest from the girl as she jogged after her.

As soon as the duo made it inside, Akari made a beeline for the meeting room where she knew Kagome would be. When she walked into the large space that had once made up half of a small library, she found Kagome once again surrounded by several old leather-bound tomes and a handful of scrolls all aged with time.

" _Pass the scroll with the healing techniques from Lady Nanao._ " Kagome said with an absent tone as she cross referenced something with one of the old tomes. Akari easily grabbed the old scroll from where it stuck out from beneath another book. Making sure it was the proper one, she passed it over to Kagome who hummed as she looked at something then at the note of scribbles on the paper.

" _Any luck?_ " Akari asked as she sat down and poured Kagome a glass of tea as she worked.

" _I'm not sure. So far I've managed to figure out how to read the writing but what I've managed to figure out is ridiculous._ " Kagome said exasperated and shoved the mass amount of papers away from her. Akari smiled slightly before looking around the room in a bit of boredom. " _How are you and Dakota doing?_ " Kagome asked as she sat back up and looked at Akari with a smile.

" _I don't know. She was able to flare her yokia a bit but then her nose started to bleed._ " Akari told Kagome, who frowned at the words of her second eldest.

" _That wasn't what I meant but that is unsettling. Do you think it was due to over exposure of her demon blood? If she's somehow restraining her demon blood, then having it surface could cause her body to react in different ways._ " Kagome told Akari, voicing something that had never thought to occur to Akari. Akari scowled slightly as she thought the information over.

" _That could be it._ " Akari mumbled as she leaned back and crossed her arms. " _Her yokia flared pretty strongly last night, and then she summoned it again earlier. It's something at least._ " Akari added in a low voice as something started to bug her, like a fly buzzing just out of swatting distance.

" _Akari?_ " Kagome questioned as Akari's eyes landed on a loose leaf paper that Kagome had used to translate some of the notes into something legiable.

" _What if-_ " Akari started only to pause when both heard the front door slam open and loud calls from the pups as they raced inside after a long day of school.

" _We're back!_ " Masaru's voice carried as both women stood up and walked to the door.

" _What were you about to say?_ " Kagome asked and Akari bit her lip, debating on if her thoughts were even on the right track.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"There's a big fair and tonight it's going to open!" Izayoi said excitedly as she and Celt bounced up and down while dragging me downstairs.

"Have you ever gone?" Celt asked quickly as I stumbled and missed a few steps, but thanks to both of them being my size -a fact that I did not like- and holding both my arms, I didn't go flying down the rest of the stairs.

"N-" I started to answer his question before Izayoi interrupted me with another question.

"Do they really have super scary rides there?" She asked as I stumbled again, this time on the last step as they let go of my arms. " _Awesome!_ We have to go!" Izayoi cheered as I straightened myself and swung my now free arms.

"I've never gone before." I told Celt when it looked like Izayoi was still lost in her plans to ride the scariest rides.

"Really? Why not?" Keade asked as she came out of the kitchen with a glass of what looked like juice or something.

"Whatever happened to drinking Coke or Dr. Pepper or something other than milk, juice, or tea?" I asked myself privately, missing the taste of some of my favorite drinks. "I never had the money or freed- free time." I corrected myself as I spoke to the other twin, this one still wearing her Concealment Charm from school. She nodded in understanding before giving her younger twin an exasperated look.

"Really Izayoi, do you even listen to yourself? How can Dakota take us if she's never been?" Keade asked as Masaru walked into the hallway with a plate piled high with sandwiches of varying thickness and fillings and with Ami and Emily following with glasses of drinks in their hands.

"Oh shut up Izayoi! I didn't actually mean Dakota drive us! She can lead us around!" Izayoi said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I can't though!" I said loudly in hopes of getting Izayoi to stop raving about the fair.

"Woah! What's going on?" Masaru called out over all of us, finally getting Izayoi to turn her attention on him.

"You've got to take us to the fair!" Izayoi told him just as Kagome and Akari appeared behind Ami and Emily.

"Why don't we all try to settle down before we go anywhere." Kagome said calmly and stepped to the side as we all trudged into the kitchen and sat down; some at the bar and others at the table by the doorway. "Now, what's going on?" She asked as Celt snatched one of Masaru's many sandwiches and started eating.

"There's a big fair and we all want to go." Izayoi said, practically vibrating in her seat from excitement. I noticed, with a smirk, that I wasn't the only one to roll my eyes as I looked around the room and noticed Keade do the same while Ami jumped in excitement at the thought of the fair.

"I don't know," Kagome said slowly, looking around at everyone as she thought over something.

"Please! Please! Please!" Izayoi begged and I had to give the girl props, she had deadly puppy eyes, and it looked like Ami and Celt had learned from her if their looks were anything to go by.

"Talk to your father when he gets back. If he says yes, then you can go." Kagome told them and I was surprised to see Masaru give a cheer along with Izayoi, Celt, and Ami. "Now go find something to do for a while. Homework is a start." Kagome said and I had to bite my lip from laughing at the look of horror on Izayoi and Celt's faces at the word homework.

"I'm going back upstairs to finish my book." I mumbled to no one before walking out of the kitchen with the twins, Celt, and Ami following.

It was a few hours later that we arrived at the fair that was being held in another town. When Keade had found me in my not so secret hiding spot, she had happily told me that all the pups were going and to grab my shoes and a jacket.

Shortly before we had all left the house, the older three had put on Charms that Keade told me worked the same way as the normal ones they wore for school or work but instead of looking younger they all looked like their normal physical ages.

"That is to say Shippo and Akari still look like they're in their mid-twenties and Masaru still looks a like he's eighteen. Most humans would freak out if we walked around looking our real ages." Keade explained and I frowned at her words.

"How old are all of you?" I asked her and she shook her head giving me the same smile Kagome gave me when I asked a simple question, as if I were just a little kid.

"I think you should ask Akari that. If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me." Keade told me before grabbing my wrist and dragging me out of the room, causing me to drop my book in the process.

"Shippo, you take Ami and Emily, Masaru, you get the twins and Celt, and I'll take Dakota." Akari said, dragging me out of my thoughts as we gathered between the two vehicles; a bright red Jeep and a dark green Chevy.

"Sounds good to me. We'll check out all the best rides first." Masaru joked as Celt and Izayoi made bets on who would chicken out on some of the rides.

"Good luck with those two." I told Keade who just shook her head with a smile.

"It won't be to bad. I know for a fact Izayoi will scream when we go in the Haunted House so that'll be fun." She said and I tried to stifle a laugh at the thought of the supposed 'fearless' girl getting scared of a paper cutout.

"You have to give me details later." I demanded as she nodded and we both looked up at the others.

"It's almost six now, so let's meet up to eat around nine." Shippo said as he looked up at the setting sun. Akari agreed and we all split up to go our separate ways for the time being.

"So what do you want to do first?" Akari asked me as we walked down a crowded aisle lined with stalls that sold food and showed booths for games.

"I don't know." I said with a shrug as I easily dodged around a group of milling teenagers discussing riding a ride called the Whip. "We can avoid that." I muttered as I looked up at the ride as the small one person cages flipped upside down and while the ride spun all ten cages in a twisted loop of stop and go.

"I wouldn't want to go on that either." Akari said next to me, looking a bit queasy as the ride did a sudden stop that made the cages flip upside down with their occupants inside. "We could always try a few games." Akari said motioning to a booth a few ways away where an apparently simple firing game was.

"Sure, I'll just hang back." I told her as we walked over to the game and a man with a big grin wearing the normal red vest of the workers greeted us.

"You know you can play if you want. I'll pay." Akari told me as we looked over the game. "Sit, you're going to play." She added, pushing towards one of the toy guns.

"What's up? Want to play a round?" He asked giving us another smile as he motioned to the toy guns in front of us. "Win a toy for the boy. Every boy needs a trumpet or a toy snake." The man said as Akari got a cocky smirk and picked up a toy gun causing a red pointer to appear aimed at the back of the tent.

"I'm a girl!" I said with a touch of annoyance as the man's smile twitched downward slightly.

"Sorry bout that. Here, play a round, win a game." The man said and I gave him a glare before grabbing a toy gun.

"How do you play?" I asked, ignoring the soft laughter of Akari as she took aim at one of the moving targets. "So we just shoot as many moving targets as we can before the bell goes off?" I asked and earned a nod from the man as he moved back and continued to smile. "Sounds easy enough." I muttered just as the first bell went off and Akari and I both started to fire the toys.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"You almost missed!" Dakota crowed as she jumped and did a 360 as Akari laughed, looking over at a red faced and laughing Dakota and missing the teetering bottle topple over.

"Here you go!" A women wearing the same red vest as the other workers said, passing a large mint green teddy bear over to Akari with a smile.

"Ah! Thank you," Akari said with a nod of her head as she took the bear and gave it to Dakota, who looked at the giant doll with big eyes before taking it from Dakota. Dakota had already gotten a paperboy hat with two yellow lightening bolts stitched on it, a silly looking pink monkey that had Velcro palms and was hooked on a belt loop, as well as a small plastic toy trumpet, and a pair of fuzzy pink dice both of which were tied to another belt loop on the opposite side.

"Enjoy your night." The woman said with a knowing smile as Dakota tried hide how much she actually liked the bear that was almost as big as she was.

"We will." Akari said absently, her eyes still glued to Dakota as the tiny girl chattered on about how Akari had almost missed the last bottle and close it had been. "Do you have the time? We have to meet up with my brothers soon." Akari explained and the woman nodded before going over to a small chair and grabbing a phone.

"It's almost nine." She said and Akari nodded before beginning to lead Dakota to the food area of the fair.

"Akari! Over here!" Shippo's voice called out over the noise of loud families enjoying the food of the fair.

"Keade! Izayoi!" Dakota called back, having caught sight of the twins and took off towards them, Akari following a bit more slowly. "You guys won't believe how many games we played! We even rode a couple rides!" Dakota recounted excitedly as she traded stories back and forth with the twins and Celt, ignoring Akari and Shippo as they talked as well, the youngest already eating the food Masaru had brought them.

"Had fun?" Shippo asked as he looked over at Dakota and her smile cache of prizes then at his younger sister with a smirk.

"Well what did you expect? Human games are to easy." Akari said in her defense as she shrugged and looked over at Dakota as she laughed and playfully shoved Celt after he told her about the Haunted House ride. "Besides, she kept smiling every time I won so what was the harm?" Akari asked as she gave the oblivious girl a soft smile. Shippo didn't say anything, instead he gave Akari a pat on the shoulder before leading her over to the table just as Masaru walked up with his arms loaded down with plates of pizza, funnel cake, and a bag of soda cans slung on one arm.

"I come bearing gifts!" He yelled at them, throwing his head back dramatically and laughing, making his balloon animal hat wobble precariously and nearly fall off. "Food for the hungry demons!" He laughed and Akari noticed a few people, parents if she had to guess, laugh and watch in amusement as all the pups cheered and started to loudly call out what they wanted, none of the surrounding humans realizing how true the statement actually was.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _We're back!_ " Shippo called out as they walked inside the house after midnight, Ami asleep in his arms. " _They must still be out._ " Shippo mused as Masaru walked in carrying the many prizes the pups had won throughout the night while Akari was carrying Emily and leading the half asleep group of pups into the house and up the stairs.

" _Well Dad did say, he and Mom might be gone all night._ " Masaru said as Shippo closed the door softly before following the other's upstairs to put the Ami to bed in her shared room. After making sure everyone was in their rooms and asleep, Shippo led Masaru and Akari back downstairs.

" _Wait. Smell that?_ " Shippo said, pausing halfway down the stairs and causing the other two to do the same.

" _Someone's been here. And the scent's to fresh to have been here earlier._ " Akari whispered, noticing immediately that the scent was only a few minutes old, meaning their intruder was possible still there since they had to have arrived while they were upstairs but not before they had gotten home.

" _Hello?_ " Masaru called out as the group walked into the kitchen, splitting up to look around for their parents. " _Uh, guys? Come check this out._ " Masaru's voice called out in a confused tone that instantly alerted the other two to hurry.

" _What is it?_ " Shippo asked as he jogged into the living room through the hallway by the stairs and Akari came in through the doorway leading into the kitchen. Sitting in the middle of the coffee table was a neatly folded letter with nothing on the outside of it to indicate who it was from or who it was for.

" _Are we going to open it?_ " Masaru asked, turning his head to look at Shippo as the older boy scowled at the letter. Shippo sighed and ran his hand through his hair before snatching the letter up, turning it over to see if there was anything on the back before carefully pulling the paper free of it's envelope.

" _Masaru, go call InuYasha and Kagome._ " Shippo said as he read the letter over then looked at Akari and Masaru. " _Tell them Kitsune left a message._ " He added as Masaru raced out of the living room and upstairs to find a phone.


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

...

* * *

Kagome, InuYasha, Shippo, Akari, and Masaru all sat in the meeting room. As soon as they had arrived late the night before, InuYasha and the boys had set up patrols around the house and property while Akari stood guard with Kagome inside a barrier she had erected around the house.

No one had told the pups anything about the intruder but they had felt the tension surrounding the adults of the pack during breakfast and had refrained from telling them about their night at the fair. They were all currently outside playing baseball while the adults tried to figure everything out. Earlier Dakota had pulled Akari aside and had thanked her for the fun night and prizes before giving the taller woman a quick hug and running upstairs to meet Celt. Akari wished she could dwell on that instead of what was currently laying on the table in front of everyone.

"Higurashi Pack, you have caused me quiet a few problems lately. You have something that belongs to me and I claim Blood Rite _._ " The letter read in simple but bold text. The words standing out sharply in Akari's mind as she sat in silence while Kagome went over the notes she had made in a small notebook.

" _The only way to have a Blood Rite is to have a child that shares the same blood or to be blood adopted._ " Kagome spoke, breaking Akari out of her thoughts. " _I think I know what Kitsune meant._ " She added and grabbed a notebook with the translated copy of the papers Shippo and Masaru had found so long ago.

" _What do you mean?_ " InuYasha asked as everyone leaned forward to look at the notebook.

" _The creator of the notes! See they mention the 'bearer of my bone but no more of my blood'. What if it means that references a blood adoption?_ " Kagome asked, running her hand over the words as she read them. " _I didn't really consider it until Akari brought it up, but it was one of the few things that seemed to make sense._ " She added then tapped her chin in thought.

" _What else does it say?_ " Shippo asked, leaning forward to look at the notes himself.

" _Not much. The first page of the notes talk's about a meeting with some kind of person, then they switch to the 'bearer'. After that the rest is full of notes on how to do a crude blood transfusion and how to keep a body alive after death. The fight club papers and the demonology papers were how they found the person._ " Kagome said, turning to a blank page and scribbling something down. " _I'm making a wild guess here, but I think I figured out the story behind the notes._ " Kagome went on, looking up at the group with a scowl on her face. The three eldest pups shared a look before nodding and looking back at InuYasha and Kagome.

" _Go on._ " Masaru said, making the motion with his hand as Kagome crossed her arms and sighed, falling back to sit on InuYasha's lap.

" _I believe Dakota was given the blood of a demon after she died. If the blood was given soon enough then the blood would have restarted her entire system with the right shock. The way it's done would have worked the same way a blood adoption would have._ " Kagome told them and Akari felt her jaw drop as realization dawned on her.

" _The bearer of my bone but no more of my blood! Dakota was born to human parents but because she was given demon blood she wasn't considered theirs anymore!_ " Akari said in a rush and was greeted by slow clapping.

"Brava! Bravo! As your people say it, *Sasuga." The young man said with a touch of sarcasm from the nearby window sill, blocking out the view of the pups playing. Immediately everyone jumped to their feet as the man dropped down to sit on the window sill. He was dressed like an normal man with no outstanding quality to his clothes; worn jeans, a plain white shirt with a dark maroon jacket, and a pair of worn out Nikes. His hair was a thick mess of black spikes with a pair of bright reflective yellow eyes peeking out beneath his fringe. He was covered in patches of dirt and had dried spots of what looked suspiciously like blood on his shirt. "Most people would listen when they get a warning." The man said as he gave them an arrogant smirk and crossed a leg over his knee, seeming completely unfazed by the sudden attention on him.

The sudden appearance of the outsider immediately had everyone standing up in fighting stance, but what he was holding under one arm was what had Akari being held back slightly by both of her brothers standing in front of her.

"Let her go." She snarled at the outsider as he turned to look at her with a big closed lip smile that made his eyes squint.

"No." He said with a laugh as he looked at Akari with predatory glee. "You had your warning. Besides, the brat's mine." He told them as he shifted his arms and held Dakota bridal style with her head tilted back and an arm hanging down. The girl's face showed the beginnings of a bruise with semi dried blood around her nose and her clothes were covered in dirt showing she had gotten into some kind of fight. Akari hoped it meant that the others were okay as well.

"What do you want?" InuYasha snarled as he put his hand on the pendent hanging off his belt loop that held the disguised Tetsusiaga. Shippo had already pulled out a set of throwing knives, a sharp point peeking between each finger. Masaru had already reached beneath his shirt for his own hidden weapon, a barbed whip that was kept wrapped around his middle with a demon silk undershirt acting as a sort of shield between the weapon and his skin. Akari was much the same with her hands ready to swing as she had taken to wearing her gloves ever since Kichiro's death. Kagome also stood ready, though she didn't have her trusty bow or arrows, she did have her left hand on a small necklace InuYasha had made and had enchanted to turn into said weapon with her Spiritual Power being substituted as an arrow

"Other than this?" The man said happily, lifting Dakota slightly to show them he had control. "Not much, just for you to back off." He said in a care free manner before looking down at Dakota as she began to wake up.

"Let her go!" Akari snarled again, shoving against her brothers in an another attempt to get to Dakota as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up in confusion. "Dakota!" Akari yelled, her brothers separating to allow her to get to Dakota as the girl tried to shove herself away from the man.

"Let go of me!" She yelled at the same time as Akari, managing to punch the man in the chin before he retaliated.

"Don't move." He said in that same happy voice dropping Dakota's legs and pinning her to his chest with his other arm while holding a set of very sharp claws against her neck. "Wouldn't want any accidents." He spoke, giving that same closed lip smile as Dakota tried to lean away from the claws at her throat with a look of terror on her face.

"You bastard!" InuYasha snarled as Akari was forced to stop almost within reaching distance.

"Why are you here? What happened to our other pups?" Kagome demanded, her bow now drawn with a glowing arrow of pink energy aimed at the man's throat.

"Call me Aang. As for why I'm here, I've answered that. Your pups on the other hand annoyed me." The man, Aang, drawled making everyone tense up and growl at what he was implying. "But I let them live. They're wherever they fell." He said dismissively as Kagome visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dakota, you're going to be fine." Akari whispered to the terrified Dakota as she looked at Akari with a silent plea for help. "Aang, release Dakota now or die before you can take another step. Take me instead, but release her right now." Akari said, pulling her eyes away from Dakota and looking at Aang as he seemed to contemplate her words.

"Any other time, I'd take a pretty slip like you in an instant." He said, ignoring the territorial growls from InuYasha and Shippo as he spoke. "But I kind of need this thing and I've already been paid." He said with an 'I-don't-really-care-but-I'm-going-to-pretend-I-do' shrug.

"What are you talking about?" InuYasha demanded in a growl as Masaru moved in front of Shippo and allowed the Kitsune to sneak around him and hopefully get to Dakota.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change (Twenty minutes earlier) `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Dakota! Catch!" Keade yelled as the baseball arched towards me and I backed up to catch it.

"I got it!" I yelled as I jumped up and managed to catch the ball in the over sized mitt that Celt had given me. It was also the first ball I had managed to catch since we started playing in over two hours.

"Alright, Izayoi's out!" Keade yelled from her spot on the make shift pitcher's mound, which was really just a random bucket that had been against the house. "Emily, want a turn?" Keade asked the tiny girl that I had learned was half bat.

"Hai!" She chirped and raced over to wear the large baseball bat sat while Izayoi took her place in outfield with me and Celt. Nobody had gone to school today, so we were all outside hanging out and just playing. Since Emily was up to bat, I let my mind wander, unworried about the ball coming my way.

"Hey Dakota!" Izayoi called out, walking over to me as Celt jogged over to wear the ball had rolled after Emily had hit it. I shook my head free of my thoughts on this morning's encounter with Akari and focused on Izayoi.

"What's up?" I asked, turning to look at her as she walked over to me and looked me up and down.

"You seem distracted, and I was wondering when you were going to talk to my sister." Izayoi said and I frowned even as I felt my face start to heat up in a blush.

"Wha? I talk to Keade all the time!" I tried to protest as Izayoi rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, reminding me that she was only a few inches taller than I was.

"No, I mean Akari!" Izayoi said with a smirk as she rolled her eyes and I swallowed and tried not to look at her as my face burned. "Anyone can tell you care about her at least a little bit." Izayoi said as we started to walk away from the game and towards a nearby tree.

"I do not!" I protested quickly and moved out from beneath her arm, walking a bit ahead of her.

"Your red face says otherwise, Chibi." Izayoi said and I frowned at the word she had said. "Chibi means little or short person." She explained absently and I gave her a glare as she sat down next to me and leaned back against the tree. The twins and Celt had started teaching me some Japanese since it was used so often, I was nowhere near an expert but whenever they said a word I didn't understand they would tell me the English equivalent.

"It is not, baka!" I growled as I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them.

"It's not a bad thing." Izayoi told me as we sat in the shade of the giant oak tree. "Akari really does care for you. Not the same way as the rest of us, but you can definitely see it." She added after a minute and I turned my head to the side to look at her.

"Why would she care for me? I've been nothing but a hassle." I questioned her, genuinely curious. "Plus, I'm not special like the rest of you." I added, looking out at the others as they continued to play baseball.

"Trust me, Akari loves you like your her's. Hassle, special, or whatever you want to be, she really does care. So do you." Izayoi said and I could see her give me a smile out of the corner of my eye. "I saw you hug her earlier. And you get really happy whenever she's around. Everyone can smell it, even when you try not to show it." She added and I tensed, unaware anyone had seen my brief contact with Akari.

"Plan on holding that over my head?" I sneered at her and was surprised when she only shrugged. This side of Izayoi was odd, normally she was the emotional one that lost her head easily or got distracted, Keade was usually the calm one that tried to reach out.

"No, you may not believe me but I'm not against you." She answered and looked up at the sky through the autumn leaves as a soft breeze rustled them. "I could tell by the way you hugged her that you enjoyed the hug too." She said softly and I tensed up again, turning my face away from her.

"I...didn't get a lot of nice contact growing up." I lamented after a minute, unsure of why I was telling Izayoi that. "So when Akari showed it to me, I guess I kind of enjoyed it." I finished in a mumble and let my guard down a little.

"Want to tell me a little about it?" Izayoi asked and I looked over at her, surprised she wasn't looking at me in pity.

"I don't like talking about it." I muttered, pointedly looking out at the others.

"Celt grew up on the streets because his mother tried to kill him, Emily's dad died protecting her before her mother died of cancer, Ami was found in a superstitious home sick with starvation, Keade, Masaru, and I grew up being hated by those that knew what we were, Akari was kidnapped and tortured before her blood clan tried to murder her then she was possessed by a psycho because of what she was, and Shippo lost his birth mother when he was born before he watched his birth father get murdered for a piece of a jewel he had." Izayoi said after a few minutes of silence and I blinked in shock, not knowing what I could say as I tried to force my eyes to stop burning.

"I didn't know." I mumbled as I rubbed my eyes and sniffed.

"No big deal, it's not like we broadcast it." Izayoi said with a joking smile but that didn't really make the mood around us better. "My point is, we each came from harsh backgrounds. We won't think any different of you." Izayoi told me and I nodded, biting my lip as I looked towards the house.

"You want me to talk?" I asked after a minute, warring with myself even as I spoke.

"That's up to you. I'm not forcing you to, but if you want to Akari's always a good ear." Izayoi said with a shrug and I gave her a sly look.

"You just want me to get closer to your sister." I joked and she shrugged before giving me another smile, this one closer to her usually open grin. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you want me to go out with her." I added with a teasing glance at her as she laughed.

"No way!" She laughed before lightly shoving me. "Besides, you two really need to talk. It's obvious you both care about each other, but your holding back." Izayoi said and I scoffed at her.

"At least your back to normal! Leave the reaching out stuff to Keade." I retorted as she gave a mock look of hurt. "I like you better as the idiot twin." I teased her as I climbed to my feet and helped her to her's.

"Got a crush on me, Chibi? What will Akari think?" She teased as I rolled my eyes.

"You wish! Sorry but you're not my type." I told her with slight half smile before we both started laughing. "And besides, I don't look at Akari like that. She's...different." I said, trying to come up with a good word that described how I felt about her.

"You two are just too cute. You know?" A voice said from behind us, making me jump and spin around in surprise while at the same time Izayoi spun and shoved me behind her. "Now, now, I'm just here for her." The man said, smiling and holding out his hands to show he meant us no harm. If I wasn't so scared I would have laughed because even though he had no visible weapons to me, I could feel the danger rolling off of him in waves.

"Dakota, go get the others and run to the house. Keade and I will hold him off her." Izayoi whispered softly as I looked behind us to see the others on the ground and not moving.

"Izayoi," I started just as I felt a shift in the air and turned back to look over Izayoi's shoulder at the stranger.

"To slow." The man said suddenly blurring before appearing right next to us and making a swipe at me. I felt Izayoi push me backwards at the same time as she slid in front of me and caught the man's wrist.

"Get to the house." Izayoi commanded as I stumbled back a few steps before falling on my butt. The moment of command was enough of a distraction for the man to catch Izayoi around the throat and lift her up in the air.

"Let her go!" I yelled, scrambling to my feet and racing over to the man as Izayoi clawed at his hands and kicking the air, trying to find leverage. I flung myself towards the man, barreling into him and forcing him to drop Izayoi as we both fell to the ground. I growled at the man as he blinked up at the sky in surprise before sitting up on his chest and making my hands into fists. "Leave her alone!" I snarled as I felt a fire burn inside me and my vision was tinted with red. Fueled by my anger and the fire I started to throw punches at the still stunned man, managing to give him a black eye and a hopefully busted lip before he twisted out from beneath me and punched me in the cheek, knocking me off of him and sitting up just as Izayoi landed on him with her feet firmly planted on his face.

"You are beginning to look less and less cute with each attack." He growled as he threw something at Izayoi that exploded in a cloud of purple smoke that smelled like something warm and made my throat start to close and I wasn't even surrounded by the smoke.

"Izayoi!" I yelled and immediately coughed in response.

"Go to sleep." A voice said from beside me and I panicked, urging the fire in me to surface as I swung out wildly. "Shit!" I heard him hiss followed by footsteps moving away from me.

"Akari!" I gasped as I fell to my knees and started to see a hazy outline of a figure standing in front of me.

"This is so not worth it." I heard a voice mutter before I felt another punch, this one to the jaw before I fell unconscious.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change - Current Time `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"That's easy. She's my meal ticket. Joseph was an asshole when he tried to go back on our deal." Aang said with a grin that made everyone give him a look of disgust while Akari growled.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked as Shippo discreetly moved behind the man and began to approach him.

"Nu uh uh. Call off Three-Tail or I'm not saying." Aang sang, waving his finger at Kagome as if she were a naughty child that had just been caught trying to steal a cookie.

" _How did?_ " Shippo whispered as he looked over Aang's shoulder at InuYasha. InuYasha flashed his teeth in anger before giving Shippo a subtle nod that had the younger demon back off a bit.

"Answer the question. Or my hand slips." InuYasha threatened as he freed Tetsusiaga and held it up, ignoring the glare he got from Akari before her attention was returned to Dakota.

"Dear Lady, why are you with these barbarians? A gem surrounded by dirt!" Aang mourned earning growls from all the demons as Kagome flared her Spiritual Power.

"A gem surrounded by dirt is still worth more than a dead flirt." Kagome growled, her eyes holding an eerily glow as she glared at Aang.

"Will you answer the damn question already!" Masaru growled, his body shaking with the suppressed urge to lung and attack the intruder to rescue Dakota.

"Impatient lot. Does no one know courtesy?" Aang asked mournfully before shrugging as he looked around at the group of deadly weapons aimed at him. "You see Joseph made a deal with me after he bit off more than he can chew. It's no secret greedy humans are drawn to the more...interesting parts of the world. In Joseph's case, he found the fight rings." Aang told them earning a few looks of curiosity from the group around him while Dakota seemed to go paler.

"What does that have to do with Dakota?" Kagome asked, taking a slight step forward and resting her hand on InuYasha's arm, silently telling him to lean back on the sword a bit.

"You see he made a mistake with trying to kill her off. He apparently needs her for a few more fights before he sells her off to some pig for breeding." Aang said with a shrug and laughed when Akari and the others all growled and flared their yokia or Spiritual Power. "What it's not like you can do anything. You touch me, she dies. Then again she'll be dead soon anyway." Aang said with a laugh as Dakota seemed to stop breathing as the room fell silent.

"...What do you mean?" Akari whispered, her eyes wide and her body completely exposed to attack since she had dropped her guard in shock.

"Without a counter, her blood will kill her. Much like the first time, though this time there won't be a way to be revived." Aang said with a cold smirk before sighing and looking around. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you had figured everything out before I returned. Bye now!" He said cheerfully but before he could jump back with Dakota in his arms, a knife hit him in the shoulder followed by a whip catching one of his legs, the barbs digging through the pants and slicing into his leg.

"You're not going anywhere." Masaru said with a hard glare, looking a lot like a pissed Kagome in that moment.

"Now release Dakota or the next one goes through your eye. We're done playing around." Shippo growled, a ring of emerald green flames hovering around him as he looked over at Aang while Kagome threw an ofuda behind him, forming a barrier over the window.

"You don't mess with us and get away with it." InuYasha said as Akari took the chance to dash forward, swinging her arm out and slicing almost through the arm holding Dakota before Aang realized what was happening and flipped backwards.

"Oof, you little-!" Aang said as Dakota used the chance to elbow him in the stomach and yank herself out of his hold, earning a few shallow cuts on her neck during her escape before hitting the floor and scrambling away. Aang immediately lunged forward to grab her but was stopped by a sword at his throat.

"Leave. And tell your friend to go piss himself." InuYasha snarled as Dakota was surrounded by the other three and Kagome dropped her barrier before firing a warning shot into Aang's side. For his part Aang didn't hit the floor screaming in pain, instead he flinched and grabbed his side as it sizzled from the purification. "Go!" InuYasha snarled, swinging the sword down and forcing Aang to either jump back and escape or be cleaved in two.

"He'll get her. Trust me on that!" Were the last words they heard from the outsider before he vanished and the room went silent.

"The pups!" Kagome yelled a second later and made to dash out of the room but was stopped when InuYasha picked her up and jumped out of the window instead. Shippo and Masaru followed a few seconds later after reassuring themselves that Dakota was okay.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

* * *

*It means 'I am impressed' if the translation is wrong then I'm really sorry!


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

It felt as if everything I knew had been ripped out from underneath me again as I clung to Akari, not caring how stupid I probably looked or how pathetic I was acting.

"Was I really dying? Why was I suddenly so important? Should I leave? What'll happen now?" Questions circled in my head as I dimly heard Akari whisper words to me while she held me, rubbing circles in my back as we sat there. It was as I took another breath through my nose that I noticed the blood all over me. I leaned back away from Akari and gently touched my neck and face, feeling the dried blood from my nose and looked up at Akari in confusion.

"Let's go get cleaned up." She said and helped me to my feet. She looked as if she wanted to lift me up into her arms but I moved away from her before she could try it. I headed out of the room and upstairs, not wanting to be around the others at the moment, even if they probably wouldn't notice me. I could feel Akari watching as she followed a few steps behind and felt a surge of anger replace the feeling of confusion as I picked up my pace and jogged into the bathroom.

"Get out." I muttered angrily to Akari as she grabbed a small wash clothe and got it wet. She ignored me and instead turned to look at me with a blank look with the rag raised to wipe my face off. "Ow! Stop it!" I snapped, jerking away from her as she tried to dab at the dried blood on my face and brushing against my bruised cheek. Ignoring my anger, Akari grabbed my chin and gently started to wipe at the blood.

"Stop it!" I snapped again, slapping her hands away and glaring at her as she looked at me with a tired sigh. "I don't want your help anymore!" I went on, making my hands into fists as we starred at each other.

"I know-" she started and I lashed out at her, cutting her off before she could go on.

"No! You don't know!" I yelled back at her, glaring up at her and wanting to hit the look of pity off of her face. "If it wasn't for me being here you guys wouldn't have any problems!" I went on, glaring up at her and fighting down the feeling of disgust with myself.

"Wrong. We'd be worse off and you'd probably be dead." Akari said bluntly making me pause and blink in surprise. "If you weren't here, you'd already be 'bred' like some kind of animal. I know right now you're twisted up about what just happened but I want you to get this through your stubborn head. You're stuck with me so get over your little attitude before it bites you in the ass." Akari said, shoving me onto the toilet before grabbing my face and roughly wiping it with the clothe, ignoring my small yelp of pain when she rubbed my bruise again. I sputtered at the rough treatment before managing to grab her hands and hold them away from me. I stared at her for a minute, trying hard not to pant as I glared at her and she glared back.

"I don't have an attitude." I finally spoke, earning a scoff of disbelief. "And I don't care if I'm stuck with you." I added without a lot of snap and felt my throat tighten a bit as I admitted something without meaning to. It finally hit me why I was being so stupidly emotional. After being alone for so long, someone was finally wanting to be by my side, even if they were getting hurt they still wanted to be around me.

"And I can wipe my own face!" I snapped at her when she went back to wiping my face. I managed to rip the wet clothe from her after a minute and glared at her smiling face before proceeding to brush the rest of my face off.

"I'll go grab your clothes." Akari told me as she rolled her eyes and I gave her a sharp look in response.

"I can do it myself! I'm not a little kid." I growled, standing up and moving past her into her room. Without missing a beat, Akari followed me and plopped down on the bed, watching me with calm eyes that held a bit of worry in their silver blue depths. "Great! The only clean clothes I have, are PJs!" I silently seethed as I grabbed the pajama set and held them up. Avoiding looking at Akari, I went back into the bathroom to change, ignoring the stained wash clothe as well as I took a shower.

"Freak! Monster! Go die!" Voices from the bullies of my childhood rang out in my mind as the hot water pounded down on me. I buried my face into my arms as I curled up on the bottom of the shower, trying to chase the words away as they dug into me like barbs. "She'll be dead soon anyway." The words sprang up, making me choke on a sob as they echoed loudly in my ears.

"Dakota, you okay in there?" I heard Akari call out as she knocked on the door, bringing my attention back to the present.

"I'm fine." I said, trying to keep my voice level as I wiped my face and grabbed the shampoo to wash my hair. "I'll be out in a minute." I added as I scrubbed my hair, trying to wash away the words in my head more than actually clean my hair.

"Izayoi said they would understand...But would they?" I asked myself as I cut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry off. "Would she?" I asked myself fearfully and looked over at the door that lead into Akari's room. I tried to shove the thoughts away as I got dressed, forcing myself to think about anything but what was going on currently.

After I wasted another five minutes getting myself back together, I slipped back into the room immediately seeing Akari on the bed. I stared at her for a minute, feeling my stomach churn with my mixed up emotions while Izayoi's words rang in my mind.

"I'm acting like a child. I'm almost eighteen! What's wrong with me?" I silently muttered while messing with the hem of my shirt. "Akari, do you hate me?" I blurted out in the silence and felt my face burn as she jerked in surprise before staring at me with her mouth open.

"What? No! I could never hate you!" She said, her voice a bit higher as she sat up and walked over to me.

"I mean, I've been a pain in the ass and causing problems at every turn. I'm almost eighteen and I keep acting like a little kid and I shouldn't be here. I'm like a leech! So I don't mind if you don't like me, I'm used to it." I rambled on, ignoring her words as I continued speaking not noticing Akari kneel down in front of me with a wide look and slowly grabbed my hands, making me notice I had been messing with my fingers. "Sorry," I finished, looking down at my feet as she continued to hold my hand, keeping me from fiddling with my fingers as I waited for her to speak.

"No, don't be sorry. I guess it's my fault really. I haven't been much of a, well um, I haven't been much of a friend or parent when it comes to all this." Akari said slowly, her voice wavering a bit as she spoke. "I shouldn't have just left you with the others when you first arrived or distanced myself." She went on and I felt my eyes widen a bit in surprise.

"It doesn't help that Kitsune and Joseph have decided to reappear." Akari sighed and I looked up at her, trying to figure out why she was apologizing. "First let me go ahead and say this. That bastard that was here earlier? He's liar. And I swear you're safe here, so there's no way you'll be leaving anytime soon. Unless it's to go get ice cream or something." Akari joked and I shook my head, opening my mouth to rebuke her comments only to stop when she went on.

"Nothing is your fault. If you want to blame someone then blame the guy that was here and Joseph. They're the assholes that dragged an innocent kid into all this. I don't care if your eighteen, to me your a child that got a bad deal." Akari told me and I nodded, my throat to tight for me to speak as I listened to her. "I know you don't like talking about your past, but the injuries you got. They weren't accidents, were they?" Akari asked in a soft voice and I flinched slightly, surprised at how the subject had turned.

"I didn't think so." She said grimly and I carefully pulled at my hands, hoping to free them but failed when Akari tightened her own hands around mine. "We don't have to talk about it. But I want you to understand that you never deserved it, and whatever that bastard told you wasn't true. You're not a monster or a freak or going to die. You're Dakota, and your the most stubborn smart aleck I have ever had the joy of meeting. Got it?" She asked and I slowly nodded, a small part of me actually believing her. It was weird, it was so easy to believe it was my fault but Akari made me want to think otherwise.

"It's been a long day. And it's not even two." She added with a sigh as she let go of my hands and stood up. I didn't realize I was tired until she said that and was even more surprised when I yawned. "Tired?" She asked and I crossed my arms.

"No." I said quickly and rolled my eyes when she gave me a knowing smirk. "So how old are you, anyway?" I asked as I moved past her and grabbed a book I had been reading the day before.

"What?" Akari asked, a confused look on her face as I tried to change the subject.

"You and the other's are always saying your old. So how old are you?" I asked with a shrug as I sat on the foot of the bed with the book in my hand.

"Let's see, Kagome's five hundred and twenty-two, InuYasha's seven hundred and twenty-three, and that's without counting his time sealed to the Goshinboku. Shippo's five hundred and ninety-eight, and I'm five-hundred and eleven, if you don't count the time I was sealed away too. Masaru's five hundred, the twins are four hundred and ninety-three, Celt is ten, Ami is seven, and Emily is four." Akari said, counting her fingers off as she named each person in the house and I felt my jaw drop as I listened to her calmly say the numbers.

"History's a breeze isn't it?" I finally said, making Akari laugh as she bounced onto the bed.

"Not really," Akari said with a shrug, clearly enjoying the disbelief and shock warring on my face.

"Where have you lived?" I asked, shaking my head and propping the book up on my knees to read.

"Just about everywhere." Akari told me and laughed softly when she saw me giving her a mild glare. "Japan is where I was born and we lived there until Kagome's line was really established, then we moved to the Continent and traveled around there till WWI and II. InuYasha and the other's like Kouga and Sesshoumaru fought in it, Kagome was ticked about that. After WWII we traveled around Europe, then we moved to America after we adopted Celt a few years ago." Akari explained and I frowned in thought, leaning back against the wall as I tried to figure out the timeline she had given me.

"So how many languages do you know?" I asked after shaking my head in disbelief and started to drum my fingers on the cover of the book.

"I don't know, never really thought about it." She said with a shrug before tapping her chin in thought. "Japanese obviously, different forms of Chinese -though my writing sucks-, French, English, a little Russian, German, Italian, and a little of this and that. I'll need to learn Spanish soon." Akari said making me just stare at her in disbelief.

"You're insane." I said after a minute and opened the book to the bookmarked page.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean much to me." Akari said with a shrug before suddenly grabbing me and pulling me to the head of the bed and into her arms, laying down and pinning me with her arms.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked as she pulled a blanket over us and situated the pillows around us.

"Going to sleep." She said in an obvious tone as I tried to pull free of her arms.

"And why am I in your arms?" I asked in an annoyed tone, still trying to escape her.

"Because I'm a horrible person that hasn't had a puppy cuddle in forever?" She asked with a bit of sarcasm as I turned my head to look behind me at her.

"Not that I'm disagreeing with the horrible part, but what is with 'puppy cuddle'? Am I a dog or something now?" I asked her and felt my eyes widen when she just pulled me closer.

"It's when a pup cuddles up to someone. And your my pup so get used to it." She told me and I huffed in frustration. It'd be to much of a hassle to argue with her so I just opened my book again to read. I'd move when she fell asleep.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _I wish I had a camera._ " Akari muttered as she carefully sat up and looked down at the sleeping child next to her. It had taken about twenty minutes before Dakota had given up trying to read and had fallen asleep. The book was closed with her thumbs stuck in the pages as she held onto it in her sleep. " _I'll take that._ " She whispered as she slipped the book free of Dakota's hands and tossed it to the foot of the bed. After getting rid of the book, Dakota had pulled her arms closer to herself with a sleepy sigh. Akari was glad that Dakota was asleep for multiple reasons. One of the chief ones being that she knew that with her demon blood surfacing she would be exhausted after, another was because Dakota was just adorable when she was asleep. Asleep, it was hard to think of the girl as eighteen when she looked more like Celt's age and she was more relaxed, the usual forced scowl gone and replaced with a faint smile as she dreamed.

" **I get it, she's cute! Now will you shut up?** " Akari's inner demon suddenly spoke, making the woman twitch slightly as she ran her hand through Dakota's short hair.

" _Nope!_ " Akari sent back with a laugh when her demon grumbled. " _I guess this is what Kagome and InuYasha feel with us._ " Akari said after a minute, mentally evaluating the feelings of love, protectiveness, and worry as she looked down at the oblivious child.

Akari didn't know how long she sat there, just running her hand through Dakota's hair and watching her before her phone went off but when she did she was quick to answer it and cut the noise off.

"Moshi, moshi." She said in English into the phone and relaxed when she heard a familiar laugh.

" _Moshi, moshi. How are you?_ " A man's voice laughed as Akari smiled and gave a soft laugh. " _You haven't talked to me in almost a month so I was worried about my girl._ " The man went on and Akari rolled her eyes at the voice even though they couldn't see her.

" _I'm fine, Hohen. Stop worrying, I can take care of myself._ " Akari told the man on the other end of the phone before frowning slightly. " _What are you even doing up? It's late over there._ " Akari asked as she absently went back to running her free hand through Dakota's hair.

" _I was worried about you._ " Hohen told her and she could practically see his sheepish look as he spoke. " _So how's America?_ " He asked, changing the subject.

" _It's not boring._ " Akari said after a minute, sighing into the phone and carefully turning onto her side.

" _What's happened? Need me to come? I can be there by morning._ " Hohen said quickly and Akari could hear him moving around as he spoke, probably already grabbing a bag to pack.

" _No, it's fine. We just found a little pup and a few demons are causing problems._ " Akari told him, purposely omitting majority of the issues she was facing alongside the others.

" _A pup? Tell me about them!_ " Hohen said excitedly, his mind completely focused on that portion of the sentence for the moment and Akari had to smile. Ever since his little brother Sasuke had been born, Hohen had loved kids of any species. If it weren't for certain circumstances involving two stubborn fathers and both wanting to further their own lives at the moment, they would have gotten together and pups of their own a long time ago.

" _Her name's Dakota and she's adorable but stubborn! Even though she came from a rough home, she's a sweet pup and loves to cuddle, but she won't admit it unless she's asleep. She's hanyo, but I'm not sure what she is other than that. She likes to read and is a bit distant but only until you get to know her. And she's tiny, about as big as Celt. You'd love her._ " Akari said, smiling and getting animated about talking about the little munchkin next to her.

" _I bet, send me a picture later. What did you mean about the hanyo bit? How do you know she's one without knowing what her demon half is? Does she have a Concealment Charm on all the time?_ " Hohen asked in confusion and Akari sighed faintly before her eyes fell back on Dakota as the smaller girl turned over in her sleep and curled up against Akari, proving the hanyo earlier statement.

" _It's complicated, but she doesn't have a Concealment Charm. She blocks her own blood somehow._ " Akari told him and sensing his confusion, she went on. " _When Dakota was younger she was given demon blood and her bastard of a father used her to win him money. If it weren't for her blood she'd be dead by now._ " Akari told him, her voice shaking slightly in anger and she forced herself to take a deep breath.

" _Tell me everything._ " Hohen demanded in a deadly calm voice and Akari bit her lip before spilling everything to him. Telling him everything, from when she first meet Dakota and heard of Kitsune all the way to what had happened earlier that day. " _Okay, first things first, I'm catching the first plane to America in the morning. I'm coming over there and helping. Second, I want you to promise me you won't get in any trouble. Drop out of that human school, you've got a few degrees and enough diplomas you'll be fine, and it's not like Masaru can't keep an eye out._ " Hohen told her and Akari shook her head, forgetting for the moment he couldn't see her.

" _You have to stay there and infiltrate Suzume's group._ " Akari argued and frowned, glaring forward at the wall in front of her, imagining it was Hohen in front of her.

" _Fuck that! You need me!_ " He growled and Akari growled, hating the fact that he was getting territorial and possessive over her and the situation.

" _No, it's important you stay there. I swear to keep you updated. Okay?_ " Akari countered and was rewarded with a low growl from Hohen. " _Hohen, if I promise to stay near Shippo will that make you feel better?_ " She asked and pulled her phone away from her to look at it.

" _No, but I know you'll try to kill me if I don't agree._ " He said tiredly as Akari switched the call to FaceTime and saw his face. He grinned when he saw her, showing off a set of sharp looking fangs as his cerulean blue eyes lit up. His bright red hair, a trait from his mother, was a mess and short, spiking slightly in the back while the front laid flat and in a half semblance of order. " _You're gorgeous, Akari._ " He breathed, giving her a softer smile as he looked at her, his eye tracing her face as he looked her over.

" _And your a hot mess,_ " she teased though she was doing the same thing as him, tracing him with her eyes and wishing he were next to her. " _When did you cut your hair?_ " Akari asked and caused him to run a hand through his short hair nervously before giving her a half grin.

" _A few days ago, Mom wasn't to happy but it was a pain trying to get glitter and gum out of it. So yeah,_ " he told her and she covered her mouth to smother a laugh.

" _Do I want to know that story?_ " She asked making Hohen blush a bright red. " _Do you want to see Dakota?_ " She asked him and smiled when his face lit up. Smiling, she lowered the phone to include the sleeping Dakota in the frame. Hohen's face softened as he looked at the child before he did something and grinned.

" _Screenshot,_ " he told her when he saw her questioning look. " _Going to make it my wallpaper and show it off. My girl and the new pup._ " He told her and gave her an almost cheesy smile.

" _Mm, well you better be careful with that._ " She teased making him give her a fake pout that made her smile again. " _It's late for you, so get some sleep._ " She commanded as Hohen blew her a kiss.

" _Alright, night love._ " He said and she repeated the sentiment back before hanging up, putting the phone down beside the bed on the table and pulling Dakota closer. A few seconds later, she heard a soft chime on her phone and, curious, checked it to see Hohen had sent the picture he had taken of her and Dakota to her.


	15. Chapter 15

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

To: **Mary Mab**

Yes, it has hit the fan. Sorry for ruining your day with a piece of paper. *hear's maniacle laughter in the distance.* I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave a review!

To: **AngelQueen1325**

It's good to hear from you AngleQueen1325! Life doe tend to get busy, so no biggie! I have that same problem with getting ready for graduation, travel, work, and college. (The struggle is real, my friend.) It's great to hear you're working on some of your own stories as well! I'll look into them! Don't worry I'm not mad, I'm actually REALLY happy your back and leaving a review! Thank you for your support in this story! I think it plans on being my most complicated one to date. :)

To Everyone!

I enjoy hearing from you guys and every review is saved to a special folder on my email. I also do try to answer reviews as much as possible! So send me something and I'll give you internet cookies! :) :)

LOVE YOU GUYS! -Dark! (And Light! Because I DO plan on coming back!)

* * *

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` Dakota's P.O.V. `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Someone's fussy," Shippo said with a sing song voice that made me turn around to glare at him.

"I am not!" I snapped at him, slamming my hands down on the counter in anger.

"You sure?" He asked with a raised brow, motioning to my hands and the bowl of cake batter. "Most people don't blow up over cake mix." Shippo told me as I angrily snatched a rag from nearby and tried to clean up the clumps of powder and egg.

"It's brownie mix!" I growled at him, before throwing the rag at him. "Stop grinning like that! It's creepy." I told him, giving him another glare when he simple leaned to the right and calmly grabbed the rag out of the air.

"Why don't you go take a nap? Akari will be home in a couple of hours and she said you didn't sleep much last night." Shippo said and I bristled at the comment, but bit my tongue to keep from answering. Instead I grabbed the brownie batter and a new spoon, having lost the previous one by throwing it at Shippo. "I said-"

"And I don't care. I'm not tired. Or fussy." I told him, gripping the wooden spoon tightly as I looked across the counter at him. "Stop treating me like a baby. I'm eighteen, not two." I added for good measure and nodded when Shippo raised his hands in surrender.

"I thought you were seventeen?" Shippo spoke up as I stared to carefully pour the batter into a small pan.

"I was." I said calmly, ignoring him as I finished pouring the batter and grabbed a white chocolate chip that hadn't ended up in the batter. "Your point?" I asked him while sucking on the chocolate and cleaning up the mess I had made as he gave me a confused look, though his smile had yet to drop.

"When was your birthday?" He asked and I tapped the counter, debating on answering him.

"The day before yesterday." I finally said and saw his eye widen in surprise before he suddenly ran around the counter and wrapped me in a hug.

"Just wait until I tell Akari." He said as I fought against him, finally managing to escape his hold.

"No way! Don't you dare tell her you insane fox!" I yelled as he laughed at me. It took twenty minutes and another batch of brownies before he promised not to tell Akari.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Why are we watching all these movies again?" I asked as I carried a tray of rice balls, or oniguri as the other's called it, into the room and set it down next to the assortment of finger foods that smelled delicious but looked weird. My eyes had been drawn to the stack of VHS movies and a few scattered DVDs in the mix. A few were in weird art style that made me immediately think cartoon but after looking over them again, I decided it had to be something else because it was just to detailed to be a cartoon.

"Because it's more entertaining then sitting in the dark while we're human." Celt said with a shrug as he grabbed some kind of tortilla chip with something inside it.

"I still don't get it." I said with a shake of my head before dropping down on the couch, grabbing onto a tower of pillows to keep them from falling down from the action. Knowing they wouldn't fall over, I grabbed one of the brownies I had made earlier and leaned back on the couch.

"Neither do we, but it happens. Tonight it's just me and Akari and tomorrow it's Masaru, the twins, and InuYasha. Lucky us Ami and Emily are during the day between the full and new moons." Celt told me with a mouthful of food, making me frown slightly in disgust at the sight of the half chewed food.

"Right," I said and turned away from the ten year old and looked over at Keade as she came in with two futons carried over her head while Izayoi followed with Ami and Emily carrying blankets.

"Got the rest," Izayoi said as she lazily dropped the two futons down and plopped down on top of them.

"Got them!" Emily chirped, trying to hold up her giant blanket before blindly, or not so blindly, walking over to the couch and dropping it at my feet. "Here!" She said happily as she looked up at with her pale eyes before she climbed up beside me and sat down. I nodded at her, unsure of what to do, and turned my attention back to the other's letting out a laugh of surprise when I noticed Ami sitting on top of Izayoi. Her blanket used as a buffer as it covered Izayoi completely and blocked majority of what I'm sure were curses coming from her.

"Keade!" Izayoi's muffled shriek came from beneath the blanket as Ami shifted and calmly looked at her nails, looking very much like a cat in that moment. I covered my mouth to try and keep from laughing as Celt and Emily watched, both laughing while Keade tried to get Ami off. She ended up pulling the smaller girl up off her twin, blanket and all, before depositing Ami on the floor.

"Sunset isn't to far off, everyone set?" Kagome asked as she walked in with Akari and looked around at everyone.

"I forgot the drinks!" Celt yelled and dashed past his mom and Akari and into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the corner of the couch, pulling my bare feet up underneath me as Emily jumped off of the couch and darted over to Kagome. I watched as Kagome picked her up with ease before whispering something to Akari and walking over to the twins.

I avoided looking at Akari, it had been kind of awkward between the two of us since yesterday with the whole near kidnapping and the resulting conversation. I didn't know how to act around her now that all that had happened and it seemed she was the same. I sighed, I was so messed up. One minute I'm an emotional wreck worried about everything and the next I'm the normal me, the one that was used to be on my own.

"You okay?" Akari suddenly asked as she dropped down on the couch next to me making me jump and look at her.

"...Yeah." I said and saw her frown before I turned away and my eyes were drawn to look over at Celt as he ran back in with a six pack of soda. Each can was a different flavor, but that didn't surprise me as much as the fact that there was soda in the house. "Where'd you get those?" I asked him and he smirked at me before tossing a red can with cursive white writing on it.

"The kitchen, Dad always gets us soda for our human night." Celt told me as he grabbed a Pepsi and looked towards the window to see the sun starting to set.

"Why?" I asked as he grimanced and I felt Akari shift next to me.

"Because if we drink it while we're hanyo's Dad get's mad 'cause we're all hyper as hell." Celt said with a shrug. "Plus by the time sunrise hits, we're usually passed out from our sugar high." He added with a smirk.

"Celt!" Kagome reprimended and Celt looked over at her with big eyes. "Language!" She said as she placed a paper full of squiggles on the wall by the window and a weird pink pulse came out of it, making me blink in surprise.

"English." Celt said innocently, earning a few snorts of amusement and laughs as Kagome glared at her youngest son. "This time." He added after some thought and I shook my head at him.

"Soda isn't very healthy either. It's okay to have it every now and then but not often." Akari spoke up, leaning over to the large coffee table and grabbing a few rice balls. "Another reason is it's just way to sweet for our heightened senses. Or bitter in some cases." She said, looking at the Coke in my hand as she ate her rice. I shrugged and took a sip of the drink, enjoying the sharp taste as the caffeine burned my tongue a bit.

"Sundown in less then a minute." Celt said as Ami put an old VHS in and started a movie. I set my drink down and tried to make myself comfortable as Celt starred at the window from his spot in Kagome's arms. Everyone had gone quiet and were watching the sun as it sank outside the window, even the movie seemed muted in the pressing silence. As I starred outside I felt an arm snake around me and gasped as I was pulled into Akari's lap and she buried her nose into my hair. I sat stiffly in her arms, not fighting against her but not relaxing either.

"Just...stay here." I heard Akari whisper softly and flinched when I felt an odd pulse come from her. Akari's arms tightened slightly as my eyes were drawn over to Celt as his red hair bled into blonde, like water falling over it and washing it away. His ears and fangs shrank into normal human ones and his bright sapphire blue eyes faded slightly to a more natural dim blue. He looked as if he were wearing his Concealment Charm but there was something about him that was different.

"There's no yokia." Akari whispered in my ear making me jump in her arms and turn my head back to look at her. Her appearance had changed too, her midnight hair was a soft blend of brown and black and her silver blue eyes had faded into more of an amber brown. Her fangs and ears were gone, replaced by human equivalents as well and I could no longer feel her claws against my arms telling me those were gone as well. She looked a little like Kagome, but with a more narrow face and sharper eyes.

"What?" I asked softly in confusion and stiffened again, not realizing I had relaxed, as she shifted and pulled us both into my former spot in the corner of the couch.

"You looked confused." She answered with a shrug and I nodded, not bothering to argue with her as everyone seemed to come to life again.

"So that's the difference with your Charms?" I asked as she gently pulled me to lay back against her, causing my head to fall against her shoulder.

"Sort of. Our Charms don't hide our yokia but when we're human, we have no yokia. It's...terrifying. Especially if your on your own." Akari told me, though her eyes weren't on me, but instead on Celt as he moved around before settling on top of the twins. "As humans our emotions go haywire and for pups they get clingy, needing their pack or parents to keep them safe and sometimes, sane." She continued and I felt my heart twist slightly in fear at what she said.

"Safe and sane?" I asked softly, feeling a thread of fear at what she would say.

"Having our yokia vanish for a time is like having a piece of us cut off and made untouchable. A lot of pups will lose their minds and attack themselves. Others will be smart and try to hide, listening to their instincts in that respect, but not all demons approve of hanyos and will hunt them during their time of weakness." She told me in a dead tone and the look in her eye made me wonder if she was speaking of her own experience or of one she had witnessed. "Not many hanyos survive to adulthood." She finished and I felt a chill run down my spine as I saw a haunted look in her eye.

I didn't speak after that, unsure of what I could say, and just turned my attention back to the other occupants in the room. The twins had sandwiched Celt between them and were eating the tortilla things, Ami was curled up on Keade's back with a blanket wrapped around her, her little cat ears standing straight up as she watched the movie, Emily was curled up in Kagome's lap playing with little stuffed dolls that had white hair and oddly familiar gold eyes. Kagome had a few other dolls beside her, and was quietly playing along with Emily. The movie was alright, though it was still in the beginning so the plot was still beginning. Though, even that was a bit confusion. What did a pig have to do with a big black, evil pot and a dead guy? I asked myself as I watched as the boy in charge of the pig lost it as he daydreamed about being a great knight.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Akari shifted in her spot as she watched Celt, and the twins wrestle with each other. Ami and Emily were both absorbed in another movie, though it looked as if they were on the verge of falling asleep if the amount of times Emily kept falling over and Ami kept jumping in place were any indication.

"You're all idiots." Dakota told them with an annoyed undertone but Akari could see the amusement in Dakota's eyes before she turned away to nibble at a rice ball. Akari laughed when Dakota yelped and Keade tackled her into a pile of blankets, pulling the other girl into the wrestling match. Akari knew Keade wouldn't hurt Dakota, so she let her be and instead turned her attention to Kagome as she walked over to Izayoi and Celt after putting Emily in a little nest of pillows and blankets on a recliner and Ami in one of the futons lying around the large room.

"Alright you four, enough's enough." Kagome said with amusement as she pulled a laughing Izayoi and Celt apart and looked over at where a pile of blankets exploded to reveal Dakota and Keade rolling around. Akari rolled her eyes at the spectacle before standing up and helping her mother, ignoring the thankful look as she pulled her younger sister and her pup apart from each other. Neither were hurt and if Akari had to guess, Dakota actually looked like she had enjoyed her little match against Keade.

"Ami and Emily are asleep. Keep it to a dull roar." Akari told the two before releasing them both. Akari caught Kagome's eye and nodded at a clock, silently asking how long till sunrise. Kagome gave her a sympathetic smile before shaking her head. It was only a little after midnight, sunrise was still a long way off.

Akari sighed before looking over at the 'puppy pile' in front of the TV. Keade was draped over Dakota's legs, while said girl was lying across Izayoi's back with Celt lying on top of everyone with a blanket tangled in his and Izayoi's legs. It was a cute scene and very discreetly, Akari grabbed her phone and snapped a picture, making sure to silence it so the twins wouldn't hear the camera go off. Smiling to herself, she dimmed the lights and piled back up on the couch, snagging a few of Celt's crab rangoon things before deciding to text Hohen. She needed tips on what to get Dakota for her birthday, even though it had been two days ago. Masaru had texted her about Dakota's birthday, saying something about Shippo promising not to tell her or whatever.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"You awake?" A soft voice asked in the darkness a few hours later. The movies had stopped for the time being and everyone appeared to be asleep, though Akari knew everyone minus the two youngest weren't actually asleep.

"Yep," Akari whispered cheerfully and could dimly make out the darker shadow of Dakota as she moved closer and sat down. "What's wrong?" She asked when she felt the smaller girl settle against her.

"Nothing," Dakota responded and Akari hummed in disbelief before hesitantly pulling Dakota into her lap and laying down on the couch. Akari could feel Dakota tense and could feel the heat of her blush through her thin shirt. She was surprised Dakota had come to her and sat beside her, leaning against Akari, but she wasn't going to think to much about it and instead just pulled Dakota closer. Said girl didn't fight against her, another surprise because Dakota was usually to stubborn to instigate any kind of affectionate actions. Perhaps it was because she thought everyone was asleep? Either way Akari was happy with it and just calmly started to run her hand through Dakota's hair, which now brushed just past the girl's ears.

"I, um, never really thanked you." Dakota whispered hesitantly, her blush still strong if the heat Akari could feel was anything to go by. "For the other day, and for every day. So, yeah. Thanks." Dakota mumbled and Akari smiled slightly at the embarrassed child in her arms.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing," Akari whispered softly, ghosting her fingers over Dakota's forehead.

"N-not to me it isn't." Dakota told her, a trace of her usual stubbornness in her voice as she spoke. "No one's ever...been there, for no reason." Dakota told her softly and Akari paused slightly in her movements before shifting to lay more on her side as she looked at the darker shadow beside her.

"Well that's changed. I'll always be here." Akari told her, her voice soft but still full of promise. "No matter what and for any reason." She added as she went back to running her fingers through Dakota's soft hair.

"Even if the reason's stupid?" Dakota asked, sounding a lot younger then eighteen in that moment.

"Even then." Akari reassured as something dawned on her. Dakota was trusting her, showing her a piece of the child that Dakota really was and not just the tough and stubborn person she usually portrayed herself as.

"...thanks." Dakota whispered and moved to lay on her side as well, facing Akari and putting her back to the other occupants in the room. "You know, being around you isn't as bad as I thought it'd be." Dakota said with a yawn, surprising Akari with the statement.

"Oh really?" Akari whispered with a teasing tone and a smile.

"Mhm, it's kind of fun. Even with all the craziness." Dakota muttered drowsily and Akari laughed softly. "I gotta learn how to fight though." She added slowly, already half way to dreamland.

"Why?" Akari asked as she looked out at the other occupants of the room, knowing they were awake but only the twins and perhaps Kagome could hear them.

"So I don't look like an idiot next to you guys." Dakota sleepily told her. "I don't like being...a damsel...It's boring." Dakota added and Akari laughed as Dakota drifted off to sleep.

"Keade owes me ten bucks!" Izayoi whispered loudly a few minutes later and Akari heard Kagome start to laugh as Keade groaned.

"I take it back." Keade groaned and Akari felt her interest peek at the conversation between the twins.

"What did you two do?" Akari asked before Kagome could voice anything.

"Oh nothing," Izayoi said sweetly and Akari could practically see the tomboy twin bat her eyelashes at her. "Just convinced Dakota to trust you. Nothing major." She said and Akari closed her mouth, nodding slightly as the reason Dakota had come to her became clear.

"And what does the money have to do with it?" Kagome asked in the darkness and Akari nodded, knowing the twins would see it even if she couldn't see them.

"We bet on how long it would take for Dakota to make a move. I said less than a week and Keade said a week." Izayoi said calmly and Kagome hummed before sighing at her daughters.

"You two know better...But I'm going to let it slide." Kagome said and Akari rolled her eyes as the two gave silent cheers. "But only because your father and I had a similar one." Kagome went on and Akari balked at that, wanting to make a sound of outrage but not wanting to wake Dakota.

"You're all on my list." She hissed instead and could have sworn she heard someone familiar laugh outside the window.


	16. Chapter 16

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

* * *

`.`.`.`.`.`.`

To **AngelQueen1325** :

No problem! We hope everything gets better. Good luck with your book, I'm sure it'll be awesome! Thank you for the compliment on our writing! You really like our writing? And this is your favorite series? Really? Oh wow! Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Any news on Brian yet?" Masaru overheard as he sat down in his first period history.

"Not since last night." A boy responded back and Masaru discreetly turned around in his desk, grabbing his backpack to appear as if he were looking for something while getting a look at the two boys behind him. Both had stress lines on their faces and the blonde one sitting down had dark circles under his eyes that were made more prominent by his pale complexion. "Who would want to slaughter Aunt Lizzie and her family like that?" The blonde asked looking down pitifully at his desk as if it held the answers while his friend patted his back comfortingly.

Masaru tensed slightly in his desk before grabbing a pen at the bottom of his bag and turning back around. He put his pen down in front of him and pulled out his phone, deciding to send a quick alert to his dad or Shippo, someone that would be able to get word to the others.

"Hey! Masaru!" A teen called out as he walked into class. He was the school star track runner and, until Masaru came, held the record for fastest hundred yard sprint. He had straight hair that was dyed a bright teal, and mischievous brown eyes that always looked squinted from the smile the boy always had on his face. He had dubbed Masaru his best friend and had been trying to get the Japanese boy to join him on the track team as a permanent member instead of playing football.

"What's up Kody?" Masaru greeted, a bit distracted as he slide his phone back into his pocket.

"Not much, did you hear about the Copton Murder? Completely slaughtered last night." Kody said as he dropped into the desk in front of Masaru and turned around to look at him. Masaru gave the boy a confused look as he looked at his human friend. "You haven't heard?" Kody asked in surprise, his brown eyes wide in surprise and his typical grin replaced with a slack jawed look.

"Obviously," Masaru said with a roll of his eyes as he looked to the front to see their teacher walk into the room with a grim expression.

"Alright! Everyone in their seats. Today we're going to begin our lesson on the Roman Empire." The teacher said as everyone got in their seats. Kody waited for the teacher to turn around before he leaned his chair back and started to whisper the story to Masaru.

"My ole man's an officer. Last night while he was on duty they got a call from somebody screaming about a monster attacking them, saying they already got their family. Dad thought it was some kind of prank or something so he told the guy off. Dad said he heard inhuman screaming when he started talking and then the phone cut off." Kody whispered as the teacher droned on about who the Romans were. "He traced the call to the Copton's residence and went to go check it out. When he got there he said he could smell the blood in the air, and he hadn't even seen any! Dad called for back up and when they went in the house they found blood everywhere. It looked like some kind of paint bomb had gone off inside." Kody told Masaru and would have went on if the teacher hadn't chosen that moment to call them out.

"Kody! Masaru! Since you're both choosing to ignore my class, I would assume you know the material. Tell me, who was the first Roman Emperor and what happened to him?" The teacher asked, glaring at them as a few of their classmates snickered at their dilemma.

"That would be Augustus or Gaius Julius Octavius, and he succeeded Julius Ceaser after his murder and took control of the Roman Empire, becoming Emperor. He died a month before his 76th birthday while traveling." Masaru said slowly but confidently and gave a satisfied smirk when the teacher gave him a slow nod of approval.

"Yes...that is correct, but I still suggest you pay attention." The teacher, Mr. Delmas, grumbled, clearly not liking how he had gotten his question answered correctly.

"Nice," Kody snickered, turning his head back to look at Masaru as he blew on his nails and gave a superior look.

"All in a day's work." Masaru said before growing more serious. "What happened after your dad went inside?" Masaru asked, leaning forward a bit so he could hear.

"I'll tell you later, I don't need another detention or my dad will kill me." Kody said with a shake of his head and started to write down scribbles that might have been notes. Masaru frowned, biting back the urge to growl as he leaned back into his seat and let his eyes trail over the students. A few were taking notes, but there were some that were whispering back and forth.

"...hanging upside down in a doorway." One girl whispered to a friend beside her and both shivered with looks of disgust. Masaru frowned but started to listen, it seemed several people knew about the Copton Murder.

"That's just sick. Who does that to a dog?" The friend responded in a disgusted whisper. It was a good thing the Charm hid Masaru's ears because they were swiveling like crazy as he tried to catch the whispers around him.

"-opton nailed to the wall." One voice whispered before being cut off by another.

"Not what I heard! He was laying across Bria-" Another voice whispered, sounding almost happy that they could exchange gossip.

"It was Brian's brother. Not Brian." A third voice interrupted angrily. "Kaleb was crushed under his dad." The voice added and made a shivering sound.

"It sounds like some kind of Creepypasta thing." A new voice cut in and if it weren't for a sudden loud interruption, Masaru was positive the gossip would have gotten wilder. As it was, he had already jumped up and moved to reach for the whip under his shirt.

"SHUT UP!" The blonde friend of Brian that sat behind Masaru suddenly yelled, standing up so fast his desk and chair fell over.

"Justin! Sit down this instant!" Mr. Delmas yelled but the boy went on as if he hadn't even heard the teacher speak.

"All of you assholes need to shut up right now!" Justin went on, looking around at everyone with wide eyes that had two tiny pupils. The whole class was silent as the boy panted for breath and grabbed his chest. Masaru heard the boy's breath hitch and saw his eyes go vacant a second before he began to fall and managed to catch the boy before he hit the ground.

The class erupted into movement as soon as the boy fell, everyone either moving to get to him or to get out of the way of him. Masaru was lucky and managed to keep everyone away from them both as the teacher tried to push his way through the small wall of students.

"Back off you bunch of oni! He needs room to breath!" Masaru yelled angrily and glared at anyone but the boy that had helped Justin earlier. "You! Help me get him to the nurse." Masaru said and easily lifted the limp boy up off the floor as if he weighed nothing, making sure his head and neck were supported before taking a step forward.

"Masaru! Put that boy down right now!" Mr. Delmas sputtered as he managed to get to them now that the students had made a path to the doorway, the ones in the back of the crowd or the ones that had stayed in their desks moving the desks away for help.

"Sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ignore that." Masaru said in a low tone before nodding to Justin's friend to move past the teacher and both walking out of the room. "Lead. And make it fast." Masaru said as he felt a flash of familiar yokia. InuYasha was at the school for them.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Okay, don't squat down that low. Your balance will be all off." Shippo said as I stood up straight with a frustrated sigh. "Now fix your elbows, you look like a duck." He said and I tucked my elbows in, glaring up at him as I tried to stay still.

"Satisfied yet?" I asked with a snap of annoyance as I glared at him. He ignored me and pushed at my side, making me lean but not fall over like I would have an hour ago.

"Almost, this style is pretty basic and is easy to pick up but you look like your trying to hide behind your fists and your body is too tense." Shippo criticized and I felt my eye twitch in frustration as I forced both closed and took a deep breath. The one thing Shippo had kept drilling into me all morning was that I couldn't get angry, otherwise it would cloud my judgement and he'd stop teaching me.

"Here, let me try something." I heard Shippo say softly and felt him gently grab my left wrist and pull it down, straightening my arm out before moving my right lower and more in front of my chest, as if to block. "Put your feet a little bit closer. Not that much. There, perfect." Shippo said and I opened my eyes to look at him as I shifted slightly, feeling a bit more comfortable in this stance. My feet where a little less then shoulder length apart, with my weight resting on both legs rather then just one. My right arm was crossed over my chest but not touching, forming a block to protect it if I got hit, while my left arm was held downward and relaxed, ready to swing, grab, or block in a second.

"I want you to try and kick me, do one of the kicks I showed you earlier." Shippo said and I shifted, a bit nervous about doing anything even though I had been wanting to all morning. "You won't hurt me. I promise." Shippo said with an encouraging smile. I took another breath then shifted my weight to my left leg and swung my right in a rudimentary round house. The kick landed on Shippo's thigh, and I wavered in place a bit before managing to get both legs back under me and looked at him.

"That was good, but we still need to work on your balance." He said and I groaned as I took a step back and ran a hand over my face. "When you do a round house, try twisting with it instead of trying to stay straight. That'll help. Now try again." He told me and sliding into the stance, I tried to execute the kick like he said.

"Woah!" I yelled as I spun and hit the ground. "Isn't there another way to do this?" I groaned as I stood back up and slapped at the dirt on my jeans, trying to dislodge it.

"Nope!" Shippo laughed as he nudged my feet further apart and grabbed my shoulders, trying to knock me down. "Besides, your more steady with this style." He added as he tried to poke my side and I leaned away from him.

"Your dodging skills are fine and with practice your balance will be better too. For now we can work on those." Shippo said and I rolled my eyes, looks like more running and avoiding the sticks and rocks he threw at me.

"Shippo!" A familiar voice called out, making me jump and turn around with a slight smile as Shippo looked up. "We've got a problem." Akari said as she slid to a stop in front of us, Emily resting in her arms and a serious look on her face. I felt the smile slide off my face as the dust settled from Akari's approach and I felt a a thread of uncertainty at the look on her face.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked as I looked between them, my curiosity peeked as Akari put Emily down and nodded towards me.

"Dakota, take Emily inside and wait inside. The others will be here in a minute." Akari said as Emily walked over to me and grabbed my hand.

"Already here. Pups. Inside, now." Masaru said in an oddly serious tone as the rest of the group showed up before I could argue. Glaring at us when we didn't move, Masaru suddenly barked, sounding exactly like a ticked off dog, and everyone moved. The twins grabbed Celt and Ami before running inside the house, I hesitated a second but slowly followed them with Emily resting on my back.

"What's going on?" I asked as I walked inside and shut the door.

"In here!" I heard Keade call out from the living room and walked in there, Emily sliding off my back as I walked and running past me to get there first. I followed at a slower pace, poking my head into the room to look at everyone before actually walking in. "So what were you doing before we got here?" Keade asked as I sat down at the edge of the couch and looking at everyone. Ami was perched on the back of the couch at the opposite end, her eyes sharp with focus as she watched the window where I assumed she could see the others. Celt was sitting upside down in a recliner with a frown as he focused on the twisting ball of water in between his hands. Emily was weaving in between Keade and Izayoi as they paced back and forth in front of the dark tv, going from where Celt sat to where the doorway into the room was. Both were distracted and I shrugged, knowing they probably wouldn't answer anyway.

"How much you want to bet we'll be stuck in here till this blows over." Celt spoke up in the tense silence. I looked at him from the corner of my eye before looking over at Izayoi as she froze in place, her ears standing up as she looked at the window. "Wha-" Celt started only to stop as well and flip out of the chair, the water he had been playing with falling to the floor with a splash as the sound of a loud voice reached my ears.

"What's going on?" I whispered as Keade motioned for Emily to go to the couch as Izayoi and Celt crept over to the window. Keade shook her head and motioned for me to stay silent before padding over to me to speak.

"We've got company. Shippo and Akari are talking to them and Masaru is circling the house to see if their are others. If there are, we don't need them hearing us." Keade said softly in my ear and I felt a shiver of fear race down my spine as the memory of my capture came to the forefront of my mind. "Keep the girls and Celt here. Izayoi and I are going to slip outside and help." She added and started to move away before I grabbed her arm.

"No. If one of you leaves and someone does show up we'll be defenseless. I can't fight and the others are to young to be able to properly defend themselves." I said, starring Keade in the eye as she thought it over before giving me a single nod.

"Right," Keade agreed and looked back at the window where Izayoi was growling faintly at what she could see while Celt scowled, the edges of his fangs showing over his lip and his hair seeming to waver slightly as if being turned by water. It was unnerving to see, the usually playful jokester looking as if he were ready to spring into an attack or something. Izayoi was similar though her hair wasn't waving around. Instead her upper lip was lifted, showing off her fangs, and her eyes which were normally a warm amber where now narrowed and cold. I looked at Keade as she moved over to the window, glad that she at least looked normal and not as ready to attack as the other two.

"All this is my fault." My mind whispered softly as I swallowed the fear at the back of my throat and looked out of the window as well, barely being able to see what was happening and having to put my hands on Celt's back to balance myself.

Shippo and Akari were standing a few feet apart, neither looking as if they were injured but even from a distance I could see they were angry. Akari had dropped her illusion and if I focused, I could feel the dark burning feel of her yokia and the slightly cooler feeling of Shippo's. I looked away from their angry visages and looked at the opponent they were facing and immediately felt terror grip me as my breath caught in my throat.

"I don't like him." Celt muttered as I struggled to tear my eyes away from the figure standing in front of Akari and Shippo. My chest felt like it was on fire and I moved one hand to it, feeling my heart race against my palm as the edges of my vision blurred. "He looks like a total jerk." I dimly heard Celt say as my mind raced.

"Dakota? You okay?" Someone said in my ear as a hand grabbed my arm. I jerked away from the contact, stumbling a few steps backwards as I did.

"I-" I started but couldn't continue, instead I turned and ran. I could vaguely hear my feet hitting the stairs and someone following me, but I didn't care, I just needed to get away. I raced into Akari's room and slammed the door, hoping to buy a few seconds as I dove into the small closet that was opposite of the bathroom.

"Dakota?" Someone called out as I fell inside the dark space and pulled my knees up to my chest, feeling as if a weight was on my chest as I curled against myself and tried to breath. "Dakota, I'm coming in." The voice continued and I looked at the small opening in the doorway as I heard another door open.

" **Freak!** " A voice rang out in my head as the door opened further and I buried my face into my knees.

"You okay?" Keade asked softly as I felt her move something and sit down beside me, her fingers brushing against my arm and making me flinch at the contact. I didn't respond, instead I tried to push the fear and shame away and forget about what happened. "You know, when Izayoi and I were younger we were scared of our Uncle Fluffy. He's taller then Dad and he always looked at us with cold eyes. He even calls Dad a half-breed and refused to say Mom's name for the longest time. Whenever he would come visit, me and Izayoi would run and hide too." Keade told me, her voice calm and un-accusing as she spoke acting as if what I was doing was perfectly normal. We sat in silence for a minute, one I took to slowly relax as my heart stopped racing and the fear edged away a bit.

"You know the man out there don't you?" Keade whispered softly and I tensed again, feeling my breath catch again as the fresh image of the man came to my mind's eye.

"Y-yeah," I choked out, and didn't flinch when Keade shifted and put an arm around my shoulders. She did it slowly, as if she were the one scared, and I was a little thankful she didn't just throw her arm around me like Izayoi would.

"Who is he?" She asked and I swallowed thickly, my mouth suddenly dry. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me. We can just stay here if you want and I can tell you about all our adventures." Keade reassured me as I realized I had started shaking.

"No, it's o-okay," I stuttered slightly and pulled my head up, forcing myself to stare at the blank wall that made up the back of the closet. "H-his name is Joseph, he's my dad." I said weakly and felt Keade's arm around me tighten as my chest started to burn again.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Who are you." Shippo called out as a man walked up the driveway to where he and Akari stood. The man was a bit taller then InuYasha but had a similar build of muscles. His hair was a mix of black and grey, looking a bit like salt and pepper, he had on a pair of dark sunshades that looked like riding glasses. He also had on a t-shirt that had a glass prism and rainbow that said 'Pink Floyd' with a pair of cut up jeans and worn out work boots. If Shippo had to guess his age he would put the man around forty and in his prime.

"Joseph Cohen, I'm here for Dakota." The man said cheerfully and gave Shippo and Akari a lopsided grin, pulling his sunglasses off and folding them over the collar of his shirt. Shippo's blank face morphed into a scowl as he glared at the man while Akari snarled and growled at the man, her eyes a bright amber as she starred at the man in utter hatred.

"She doesn't want you." Akari snarled, her teeth bared as she flexed her hands where her claws remained invisible.

"I'm her father, I think I know what she wants." Joseph grinned at her, treating her like a small child before turning to look at Shippo. "I appreciate you keeping her for the time I was gone." He thanked, giving Shippo a nod.

"You know nothing about her." Akari hissed at him, making his cheerful smile vanish and be replaced with a scowl as he turned to look at Akari with something akin to annoyance in his eyes.

"I'm her father. I know everything about her." Joseph said and Shippo had to raise his hand, putting it in front of Akari to keep her from charging at Joseph as she took a step forward.

"Name one thing! One thing about Dakota that you should know!" Akari yelled at him, her yokia burning Shippo's hand slightly as it built. Joseph remained silent, his scowl resembling something akin to disgust. "Exactly!" Akari said, a look of triumph in her eyes as she glared at Joseph.

"That's unimpor-" Joseph started only to be interrupted by Akari.

"Yes, it is! For example, Dakota hates sleeping with her socks on and she acts like a brat whenever she's nervous or scared." Akari told him and Shippo felt her yokia lessen slightly as she spoke of the girl. Joseph glared at Akari with a look warning of murder, Shippo, seeing the look, chose that moment to speak up.

"A few days ago, a man showed up. Did you send him?" Shippo asked calmly, though his yokia was shifting around him, he was glad he wasn't wearing a charm and his tails were hidden by an illusion of his own creation.

"You must mean Zang or whatever the fool's name was." Joseph said dismissively. "Yes, I sent him. Didn't get the job done, so I came myself." Joseph said and smirked slightly as he looked at Shippo.

"I hope he didn't cause any problems." He said with mock sincerity. "Now the girl, give her to me." Joseph snapped, holding out a hand and glaring at them, like a child demanding candy.

"I'm going to kill him!" Akari snarled as she flared her yokia, breaking her Concealment Charm with the overload of yokia. With the sudden disruption of the illusion Joseph's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing as his face twisted in disgust.

"You're one of those things." He spat out angrily. "A half-breed." He hissed, his face twisted as if he had eated a lemon or stepped in something disgusting.

"Damn right, now leave!" Akari snarled, her fangs glinting in the light while her eyes flashed a frigid silver, the blue barely visible in them. Joseph took a threatening step forward, drawing a dangerous and loud growl from Akari as she pushed against Shippo's hand. Shippo wanted to let Akari loose, allow her to attack the man that had inspired so much fear in Dakota and was obviously wanting to do more.

"Give me the girl." Joseph yelled in a booming voice and Akari made to lunge forward just as the sound of metal sliding against something and the twinge of a bow string could be heard.

"Take one more step and the next one will be in your throat." Kagome hissed from where she stood, her bow already notched with another arrow as she glared at Joseph. InuYasha was standing a few feet in front of her with his sword out and his eyes locked with Joseph's.

"Not without what's mine!" Joseph said in a low threat as he looked around all of them, his right hand trailing to his back.

"Grab that gun and you'll be dead before you can fire." InuYasha threatened as the group reached a stalemate.

"Dakota isn't some kind of thing you can pick up and throw away whenever you need her." Akari said, her low voice carrying in the silence. "And you'll never get her if I have anything to say about it." She added, her eyes hard with the promise as she met eyes with Joseph.


	17. Chapter 17

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome! Heads up on language in this chapter. We have some VERY unhappy characters!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

FROM THE GREAT! THE AWESOME! THE FAVORITE OF THE ELFENS! IT'S LIGHT ELFEN! *Crowd cheering as I walk on stage and bow*

Thank you! Thank you! Now let me start off with a sorry. (I know, I hate apologies too but you guys are worth the humiliation.) We didn't update for a bit due to Dark having writer's block (nasty!) and because this chapter did NOT want to get written. Dark still isn't satisfied with it. She did write a bunch of ideas for later chapters though! Anyway, let's get on with reviews.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

To **AngleQueen1325** : From Light!

Glad you liked it. Good luck on your book, Dark says she wants a copy when you're done. Trust me, we plan to keep writing if you guys keep reviewing! You give us all kinds of ideas and we (especially Dark) love hearing from you. Dark actually does a little 'happy dance' whenever we get a review. No joke she'll grin like an idiot and jump around singing 'we got a review!' (You idiot! You're not supposed to tell them that! ERASE IT ERASE IT ERASE IT!) -Note I rewrote this response before posting the chapter myself. Hopefully (if she knows whats good for her.) it'll stay here.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

* * *

Kagome pulled her bow further back, ready to fire as she watched Joseph try to stare her mate down while still reaching for the gun he had in his back pocket. The first arrow she had fired and landed a foot in front of him, she planned for the next one to hit something important. The Chinese had proven men could live without certain parts.

InuYasha was glaring at the man, his eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted his feet to spring backwards. Even he knew that up against a gun, his sword would be useless and to large a weapon to defend himself. His best bet would be to cover Kagome and get them both out of fire range before taking down the man.

"All I want is Dakota. Give her to me and you'll never hear from me again." Joseph said in a calm, if slightly strained, voice as he crouched down slightly and darted his eyes over to Shippo and Akari. "I don't know what you Things think you're doing but she's mine." Joseph added looking at InuYasha before his eyes darted over to Akari as she snarled and took a step forward, only held back by Shippo as he stood in front of her, his back to Joseph as he whispered to her softly.

"'Child of my bones but not my blood.' That's what you said wasn't it?" Kagome asked loudly, drawing Joseph's attention to her.

"How did...? Gwen's notes." Joseph's eyes lit up as he figured out what Kagome said and what it meant to him. "I wondered where those went." He laughed coldly and straightened suddenly, making everyone tense and shift in response.

"Dakota isn't your's." Kagome added and kept herself from flinching when Joseph suddenly grabbed the gun in his back pocket and aimed at her.

"Kagome!" InuYasha yelled, stepping in front of her completely and glaring at Joseph as the man gave him a cold, hateful smile as he pulled the gun back and cocked it.

"One shot is all I need to kill one of you." Joseph told them and confidently turned the gun on each on the four present. "You're their leader. Decide, give me the girl or one of you dies." Joseph started, his face twisting into a look of vile contempt.

" _Release me!_ " Akari suddenly yelled as Shippo wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms down to her sides and lifting her up slightly. Kagome spared a glance at her daughter and felt her breath catch as she caught sight of red eyes and saw blood on her claws.

"What's it gonna be? The girl? Or a life?" Joseph laughed as he saw the look of trapped rage on InuYasha's face.

Before anyone could answer him, a sharp crack echoed around them followed by a flash of silver and a loud snarl. In seconds, Masaru had disarmed and tackled Joseph to the ground.

"You will not threaten our Pack. You will leave if you value your life. And you will NOT return or come after any of us." Masaru hissed in a low tone, his eyes frigid but burning with promises of retribution. "That includes Dakota." He added, pushing down on Joseph's neck with the knife he held braced by his arm.

InuYasha relaxed slightly, eyes moving over to Kagome before going over to Shippo as he continued to hold back Akari. InuYasha was slightly relieved to see her eyes were mostly back to normal, though if he looked close he could see red just around the edges.

"Masaru!" Kagome suddenly yelled and dropped her bow in favor of running past her mate and towards Joseph. InuYasha jerked back around when he heard a loud bang and a pain filled yelp come from Masaru and saw his son fly off of Joseph as the man calmly stood up and started to laugh.

"You can't tell me what to do, freak." Joseph laughed, his eyes now holding a milky quality to them as he looked at all of them. "Now give me the girl before you lose another one." Joseph spat out as he cocked his gun again and looked at InuYasha with that same cold smile.

" _Fox Fire!_ " Shippo yelled, sending a blast of bright green fire towards Joseph while Akari mimicked him and slashed the air, firing dozens of white blades of energy at the man and yelling out a loud ' _Dancing Blades_!' Her attack combined with Shippo's, created a blend of white and emerald colored blades coated in fire racing through the air and into the ground near Joseph.

With the dust from the blast kicked up, Kagome took the chance to make it to Masaru and turn him over. He was bleeding heavily from a hole on his left side just below his ribs and was unconscious. InuYasha appeared at her side half a second later and gently lifted his son into his arms.

" _One of you get over here!_ " InuYasha yelled and grunted when Shippo appeared, his illusion dropped and showing all three of his tails as well as his other features as he carefully took Masaru and hissed when he saw the wound in his younger brother's side. " _Get him inside._ " InuYasha ordered and turned back to where the dust was starting to settle to see Akari had used the small cover to rush forward and was currently pressing Joseph back with a series of sharp and fast punches.

" _Move!_ " InuYasha yelled as he swung Tetsusiaga at the pair. Akari hesitated a second and was almost caught in the blast before she jumped into a shadow and vanished. InuYasha smirked when he saw the look of fear on Joseph's face as his Wind Scar closed in on him, satisfied that his attack had no chance of missing the foul man. Right as the attack hit Joseph, he connected eyes with InuYasha and gave a knowing smile.

The ground exploded when the attack landed, picking up and throwing dirt, grass, and rocks, leaving three long scars in it's wake as everything settled.

" _Did we get him?_ " Akari panted as she appeared out of the shadow of InuYasha's jeep. InuYasha snarled, sheathing Tetsusgia angrily and glaring at the spot Joseph had stood in.

" _He got away._ " InuYasha snarled, raking his claws through his hair before crossing his arms and turning around to look at his daughter. " _Fucking bastard!_ " He growled as he helped her to her feet and both made their way inside.

Kagome had Masaru laying on the table in the kitchen, a futon spread beneath him as Kagome worked to extract the bullet from his side. She had taken Masaru's shirt off and InuYasha growled lowly as he caught sight of the bloody wound in his son's side. Kagome had a pair of tweezers in one hand and was carefully holding the wound open as she tried to extract the bullet lodged in her son's side. Masaru for his part, had a wet rag on his forehead and was alternating between clenching his fists into the futon and just growling threats and promises to Joseph.

InuYasha helped Akari sit down and nodded at Shippo as the young man passed Akari a cup of simple tea. He'd have to go get ingredients for his healing remedy, Masaru would need the fresh meat in order to heal properly and it had been a while since any of them had any fresh meat.

" _Got it. Now hold still so I can stitch the hole shut._ " InuYasha heard Kagome whisper and looked over at the used bullet. As he lifted the blood covered piece of metal he frowned, Joseph's earlier words repeating in his head as he dropped the piece of metal down and looked at his son. " _InuYasha, the wound isn't healing._ " Kagome said as she pressed a cloth against the wound to clean off the excess blood.

" _Poison?_ " InuYasha grunted as he moved to stand beside Kagome, taking the cloth from her and carefully sniffing it, trying to detect anything. Masaru had tensed and was holding his breath, looking at InuYasha with a small amount of fear in his eyes. InuYasha didn't need to turn around to know Shippo and Akari were watching him as well. " _I can't smell anything. If he was poisoned then that means the bullet was coated in something scentless._ " InuYasha explained, holding up the bullet for everyone to see.

" _I have a resistance to poison. Nothing to worry about._ " Masaru tried to joke but no one smiled at him as his hand trailed to his side.

" _Resistance or not, this isn't good. We don't know what he used and there's only so much an immunity can do._ " Kagome told her son as she slowly pressed the two ends of the wound together, stitching his side, and grabbed a pouch of herbs very few could recognize. " _For now I'll use these to help draw whatever it is out. You'll need to stay inside, bed rest._ " Kagome said as she grabbed a bowl and started to crush the herbs, skillfully adding a few things to it before applying it to her son's side. Masaru hissed as Kagome rubbed the ointment onto the wound before binding his side in a thick bandage.

" _If I don't get sick from this then I'll die of boredom._ " Masaru whined as Kagome let him sit up and started to clean up the area.

" _What about the Pups? The school will get suspicious if they don't show up after a couple of days._ " Shippo spoke up, knowing InuYasha would be loath to let them out of sight much less out of the house. InuYasha grunted in agreement, crossing his arms as he looked at everyone watching him.

" _I'll call Souta and Kohaku, tell them what's going on and we'll go from there._ " Kagome said as she stood up and wiped her hands on a clean towel. " _For now-_ " Kagome continued only to have Shippo interrupt.

" _For now the pups can be pulled out of school. Everyone from the twins and up have graduated multiple times and Masaru can teach while he's on bed rest. He's the best at it. I'll stay home and Akari and I will keep an eye out around the property. InuYasha and you have to be at work. It'd look weird if you suddenly quit._ " Shippo said, looking around at everyone as he spoke. " _With that murder that happened it won't look odd if we pulled the Pups out of the school, especially because we're still new to the town and foreign. People will just assume we're scared or something._ " Shippo added and Kagome bit her lip before nodding and looking at InuYasha.

" _What do you think?_ " She asked her mate. It was ultimately up to him to decide what to do.

" _Call the boys._ " InuYasha said after a minute and the tension seemed to fall away as Akari nodded and stood up to make the call to Souta and Kohaku while Shippo smiled and slumped in relief.

" _I'll go pull the Pups out of classes._ " Shippo said, moving to walk past InuYasha but stopping next to him.

" _Be careful._ " InuYasha growled, no room for argument or jokes as he stared Shippo in the eye. Shippo gave him a sharp nod before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Concealment Charm. With a quick bye, Shippo vanished and a second later the Pack Members could hear the growl of his truck as it started up and he left.

" _InuYasha, help Masaru to his room. Stay in bed. If you need something call one of the Pups for help. Or I will seal you to your bed._ " Kagome told her son, giving him a glare as he gave a sheepish grin and wiped the sweat off of his face with the rag.

" _Ano, is it safe to come in yet?_ " Celt asked, poking his head into the room and looking around.

" _Celt! What is it?_ " Kagome asked, worry in her voice as she looked at her youngest son.

" _Nothing. Where's Akari?_ " Celt responded, still looking around though now they knew he was looking for his oldest sister.

" _She's calling Souta and Kohaku._ " InuYasha told his son, nodding at the laundry room door to signal she was in there.

" _Oh,_ " Celt said and darted away from the door and towards the stairs.

" _Oi! Why do you need her?_ " InuYasha called out making Celt stop a few steps up the stairs.

" _Keade and Dakota locked themselves in Akari's room and Izayoi said to go get Akari for help._ " Celt said with a shrug before thumping back up the stairs.

" _Why would they do that?_ " Kagome asked in confusion, looking at InuYasha as he shrugged and shook his head in answer.

" _Souta said they're at the Demon Tournament and everything's going to hell anyway. So they'll be here probably by tomorrow._ " Akari said as she came out of the laundry room and put her cell back in her pocket. " _What?_ " She asked as she looked around at the confused faces starring at her.

" _Why would Keade and Dakota lock themselves in your room?_ " Masaru asked before Kagome could respond. Akari made a sound of confusion before shrugging at them.

" _I don't know._ " She told them and started towards the stairs while InuYasha carefully helped his second son to his feet.

Izayoi met her in the hallway with Emily holding one hand while Ami perched on the older girl's back. All of them stepping to the side as InuYasha and Masaru shuffled into the younger boy's room.

"If you can get them out of the closet that'd be great." Izayoi drawled lazily in English, a small grin on her face as she spoke though Akari could smell the younger girl's worry. Akari rolled her eyes before calmly bending down and lifting Emily up into her arms when the tiny bat hanyo had transferred her hold of Izayoi's hand to Akari's pants leg.

"Why'd they go in there?" Akari asked in English as she adjusted Emily on her hip, still looking at her younger sister.

"Dakota panicked when she saw the intruder, Keade was faster than me and got to her first to help." Izayoi told her in a serious tone, giving Akari a look that said she wanted an explanation soon. Akari nodded before sighing and gave Emily a small kiss on the forehead before putting her down.

"Souta and Kohaku will be here soon." She told Izayoi and smiled softly when Ami lit up and jumped off of Izayoi's back while Emily clapped her hands together and chirped loudly in excitement. "I'll leave you to them." Akari smirked as she started to her room, leaving Izayoi to be dragged off by the two smaller girls.

Akari hesitated at her door, unsure on what she should do. She could faintly hear whispers but nothing really distinguishable. Taking a deep breath she softly pushed the door open and walked inside, her eyes immediately roaming around to land on Keade sitting in Akari's closet.

"...is okay. It teaches us." Keade was saying as Akari walked in. Akari knew her sister was aware of her presence and carefully made her way over sit down at her desk. "Akari's here, so that means it's all okay now." Keade said in an encouraging tone and Akari heard Dakota snort and could almost picture the girl rolling her eyes as she heard the child stand up.

"So long as it doesn't teach often then." Dakota said dryly and climbed out of the closet with Keade. When she saw Akari she blushed a deep red and scowled, crossing her arms and turning to look at Keade.

"I'm going to go find out how Masaru is." Keade said before walking out of the room, leaving the other two alone.

"I'm sorry you saw him." Akari said softly and sighed when Dakota stiffened and gave a sharp nod.

"Sorry I panicked like that." She muttered in return, her ears burning as she walked over to the window and sat back on the sill. "I just..." She added, biting her lip and taking a deep breath.

"Fear is a powerful thing." Akari told her and earned a nod of agreement from the other girl. "C'mon, Shippo was teaching you something earlier. Let's go outside and you can show me what you know." Akari told her with a smile, standing up and walking over to her.

"B-but is it safe?" Dakota asked in confusion as she stepped back and watched Akari open the window.

"You're safe with me, always." Akari told her as she climbed up onto the window sill and held out her hand for Dakota to take. Dakota gave her a cautious look but Akari could see the curiosity in her eyes as well and gave her a big smile when Dakota grasped her hand. In one motion, Akari pulled Dakota up and out of the window with her, flying through the air and landing on the ground in seconds.

"That was awesome!" Dakota breathed, her face flushed with adrenaline as she looked up at the window far above them then at Akari, letting go of the older hanyo's hands with a grin.

"That was nothing, wait until I take you on a run." Akari said with a proud smile as she enjoyed the small moment with Dakota. "Now, show me what Shippo taught you." Akari laughed and rolled her eyes when Dakota looked at her in confusion before realization lit up in her eyes and she shifted into a stance.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"ARGH!" Joseph roared, lifting a chair and throwing it against a wall in anger. He had one arm wrapped in a sling, the attack from InuYasha nearly cutting his arm off completely and he had multiple bruises everywhere as well from his scrap with Masaru.

"I kind of liked that chair." Aang moaned from his perch on a stack of large shipping crates. Joseph snarled at him, grabbing another object and throwing it, watching it shatter before going back to pacing around the slightly more clear floor.

They were currently in the storage area of the large mansion Joseph had 'repossessed'. After Dakota had won her last fight, Joseph had waited till the dealer's back was turned and killed him. Forging the dead man's signature and having him generously donate all his properties to Joseph. Dragging a half dead Dakota back to his house with Aang following close behind he had found Gwen walking around with a few scribbled papers in her hands and muttering inaudibly. Joseph had dismissed Aang, telling him to dispose of Dakota then to return. That was a mistake.

"SHUT UP! If you had done your damn job, we wouldn't need the Freak!" Joseph snarled, looking up at Aang as he lazily laid back on the crates and yawned.

"If I had, we wouldn't have a way of making more cash either. You already sold off the woman, she's useless to us now." Aang told him blandly and looked down at Joseph with a smirk.

"Why don't you make another one of those things?" Joseph spat, going over to a crate and ripping it open to find something to ease his anger.

"Already told you, I can only make one because my blood's not that strong." Aang told him, that wasn't true, but Joseph didn't need to know that, and he was to arrogant to think to question why InuYasha seemed to have several brats, blood adopted and not. Reaching into his pocket Aang pulled out what looked like Jerky of some kind as he silently laughed at the stupid human below him. "Mm, those humans from last night are delicious. Shame the boy got away. He wasn't bad looking and it's been awhile since I had a plaything." Aang said as he snacked on his treat and watched Joseph lean over the crate and start to shake. Aang watched, bored, as Joseph stumbled over to a discarded bag and pulled out a vial of orange liquid, tipping it back like a shot.

"Fucking disgusting!" Joseph muttered as his shaking eased and he pulled at his bandages, his bruises fading right before Aang's eyes.

"Price of being pure." Aang said with a smile before lazily rolling off of the crate and onto the ground feet first.

"Whatever, so long as those freaks can't touch me." Joseph said as he walked past Aang. "Get me some more of that shit and then meet me upstairs. We need to plan." Joseph told him, not looking back and thus missing the predatory grin on Aang's face.

"Of course," Aang said loudly so Joseph would hear him. "I'll get right on it. Though you won't need it to much longer." Aang added as the door shut and laughed quietly to himself as he pulled out a phone and dialed a number. As he listened to the other line ring, he casually picked up the discarded vial and smiled at the few remaining droplets inside it.

"A little bit of something for addiction and a dash of demon blood, and viola the perfect way to make a false demon, or a pure super soldier." Aang laughed coldly as he heard a click on the other end of the line. "My pet's almost out of food. Send me another batch." He ordered before hanging up and tossing the vial away, hearing it shatter some distance away.


	18. Chapter 18

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

 **A/N**

 ***Dark*** Hey guys! Don't worry, we're not dead yet! Sorry for not posting in so long.

 ***Light*** Yeah, our old computer completely crashed and wouldn't even come on anymore so we had to re-write everything when we got a new computer which, might I add, has Microsoft Word on it. Things (grammar wise) should improve now!

 ***Dark*** You can hate us if you want, but here's a new chapter. It's mostly a filler but it does go over a few things. The next chapter will focus on some changes and should be better.

 ***Light*** Or at least that's what we're hoping for. ANYWAY! Give us some reviews and we'll see you in the next chapter!

* * *

"You'll have to hit harder if you want to get me!" Izayoi called out as she pulled her left arm up to block Dakota's round house kick before using the same arm to push the leg away and off balance the girl. Dakota didn't answer, instead she gave a sharp smile as something flashed in her eyes and she went back to attacking Izayoi. Both were enjoying the spar and really who could blame them? They had been cooped up in the house for hours thanks to Masaru 'teaching' them and Shippo and Akari immediately finding them whenever they tried to sneak out via window, door, or chimney. Ami had tried that and had come in being carried by the back of her neck and covered in soot.

Akari couldn't blame them at all. Bored pups were inventive pups after all. She was currently sparring against Shippo, both sharpening their own skills against the other while keeping an eye on the pups around them. Ami and Emily were doing their own little 'spar' which mostly consisted of jumping around and avoiding getting tagged by the wet paint on their hands; the paint was used to show each hit and was an effective tool. Keade was paired with Celt, the latter trying to use his water to trap Keade and pin her while also trying to avoid her numerous attacks. She had definitely inherited InuYasha's speed when it came to fighting whereas Izayoi -though fast in her own right- was slower and had inherited her father's love of trash talking -during a fight. Everyone sported various bruises -or paint splatters- but nothing more and they were also all enjoying the reprieve from the tense atmosphere that had shrouded them.

"BREAK!" Masaru called from his spot on the roof next to his bedroom window. Akari frowned as her eyes trailed up to her brother, Kagome had given him something for the vomiting and aching in his back, but Akari could see even with that her younger brother was still hurting.

As if sensing her eyes Masaru looked down at her and smiled, waving at her as he tossed down a bottle of water.

Everyone did a cool down from their movements, stretching out before drinking the water. Dakota had been confused with the cool down stretches until Akari explained it to her after she had taught Dakota a few moves the night before. Akari had laughed when Dakota had groaned about being soar regardless of cool down stretches when Akari had woken her up earlier that morning.

"Any news?" Shippo called out to his younger brother as he motioned for Celt to dump some water on his head.

"None." Masaru told him, holding up his hands and shaking his head negatively. Shippo nodded, calm and slightly relieved that there was no news. The saying did go, 'no news is good news.'

"Alright, everyone needs to run a few laps. Get as many as you can done in fifteen minutes then we'll go get lunch started." Akari said and smirked when she got a few loud groans in reply. "I can always just change it to a hundred laps." She said and winked at Shippo, who was trying and failing to fight off a grin.

"They should do it on their hands. You know, build youthfulness." Shippo said and both older siblings broke down in laughter when they saw all the kids start running, dragging along the slower ones as they ran.

"His aim is off." Shippo said softly as he stood next to Akari, his back to her as he kept an eye on the area behind them.

"I noticed." Akari muttered and tossed her half empty bottle up into the air before catching it. "Speed it up Dakota! You're lagging behind!" Akari yelled and laughed when the smaller girl stumbled before speeding up a little bit.

" _Shut up!_ I'm not fast!" Dakota spat in a gasp as she ran past still trailing behind the others. Akari rolled her eyes in amusement before giving a whistle, it hadn't been fifteen minutes but she'd have mercy for now.

"Lunch time!" Akari called and watched as everyone changed directions to jog or walk back towards the house. "I'll fix lunch while you do a perimeter check." Akari told Shippo before he jogged around the house to check up and down the road first.

 **`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.** `.`.`

I groaned as I slid into the hot water in the bathtub after taking a short and cool shower. My whole body hurt from sparring and running around and all I really wanted was a nap. I closed my eyes as I leaned back in the tub, enjoying the steaming water as my muscles relaxed.

"I want a nap." I muttered before sinking into the water until it brushed over my chin. "Izayoi didn't even look winded." I thought to myself, envious of the taller girl. I sighed and forced those thoughts away, instead I tried to figure out why the monster in me had seemed to vanish. It was weird, I couldn't feel the fire inside of me or the monster either.

"Is it because of the others?" I asked myself as I tried to search for even a trace of either in me, trying to focus my breathing and not fall asleep like Akari had tried to teach me. "I'm a horrible student." I thought with a small smile, remembering the small doodles I had scribbled into a notebook while Masaru was telling us about some war.

"Focus." I muttered to myself, frowning and trying to focus my thoughts back on finding the fire or monster in me. "Where are you?" I whispered softly and felt myself jump when something seemed to brush against my mind before vanishing. I tried to call it back but nothing happened. Angry I snapped my eyes back open and sat up, causing the cooling water to slosh around me.

"Whatever," I muttered angrily, fed up with not being able to do something that looked so easy. "It's stupid anyway. I'm human, I don't have any yo-ky stuff." I muttered, forcing myself to get out of the warm water and dry off.

"Hey Dakota! You done yet?" Celt yelled from outside the door as I towel dried my short hair.

"I'll be out in a sec!" I called back as I dropped the towel around my neck and walked over to Akari's door. As I passed the mirror though, I paused, my nose was bleeding. "You've got to be kidding." I grumbled as I grabbed a small bunch of tissue and wiped at my nose, scowling at my reflection as the white tissue was covered in spots of red.

"Bathroom's all yours!" I called out as I walked out of the bathroom and into Akari's room, plopping down on the bed. "I want a nap." I mumbled into the blanket and sluggishly moved my head so I wasn't face down in the blanket.

 **`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`**

"Daddy/Otou!" Ami and Emily squealed as two tall young men walked into the house. The one that lifted Ami up into his arms had a cheerful smile on his round face and a hazel eye color that looked like a darker version of Ami's eyes with matching brown hair on both of them. He wore a plain blue polo with jeans and had a gun holstered at his hip. Ami was talking to him in a rapid mix of Japanese and English but the man seemed to have no trouble understanding her. The other man was a bit taller than Ami's dad and had longer dark brown hair with freckles and bright brown eyes. Emily was perched in his arms and was clinging to his chest, smiling and running her hand over the symbol stitched into the man's dark green shirt that looked like a crescent or something. He had a sterner look than his companion but was smiling softly and seemed relaxed with Emily in his arms. Though no weapon was visible, it was clear he was just as dangerous as his friend.

" _Uncle Souta! Uncle Kohaku!_ " Akari heard the twins and Celt yell from upstairs before all three flung themselves down the stairs.

" _Hey guys_!" The shorter one said happily as he caught Celt with his free hand while the twins spun around his and the taller man's feet. Akari snorted in amusement, unable to fully stop a laugh from escaping her as the mental image of Souta surrounded by actual puppies.

" _Where's Kags and the others?_ " Souta asked with a grin as he nudged Kohaku's side and started towards Akari.

" _Mom's at work and so is Dad. Shippo and Akari are making lunch and Masaru's sick._ " Celt told him from his perch while everyone poured into the kitchen to see Shippo making rice, sushi, and cut up veggies.

"Hey guys," Shippo greeted as they walked into the kitchen and saw the small crowd. "Why don't we all get something to eat? We'll talk after." He said with a smile and laughed when all the kids rushed around him and snatched up the food.

"So what's going on?" Souta asked easily switching to English as he let Ami down and fixed her a plate of food.

"Where do we start?" Shippo asked with a laugh as he fixed a plate of food for Masaru. "We rescued another pup, found out about some kind of revival ritual, an-" Shippo started to explain but stopped mid-sentence when Akari growled a warning at him and Dakota appeared.

"About time you got out of the shower!" Celt yelled, pointing a pair of chopsticks at the tiny eighteen year old and earning a scowl in return.

"Shut up!" Dakota told him, her eyes darting to look at Souta and Kohaku as she walked over to the table of Pups and food and sat down. The room was quiet, the Pups all eating their food while the adults passed signals to each other.

"Eat," Akari ordered as she put a plate of rice and veggies in front of her. Dakota opened her mouth to say something, probably to argue, but was distracted with blocking Keade and Celt's chopsticks when they made a move to snatch up her food. Akari smirked as she watched Dakota easily lean back in her chair with her plate of food held tightly in her hands, sending glares at the others.

" _We'll talk later. For now, catch up with your kit and pup._ " Akari muttered to the two older men and shoved another plate of food into Shippo's hands. "Masaru." She ordered, and nodded when Shippo took the plate to their younger brother.

" _What's wrong with Masaru? Usually he's right under foot._ " Kohaku asked, absently lifting Emily into his lap when she started to climb up his chair.

" _Poisoned. We don't know by what though, Kagome has him on bed rest for now._ " Akari told him as she glanced over at the Pups to check on them.

" _I'll check on him later. It could be a Slayer's poison._ " Kohaku told her and laughed when he glanced over at Souta to see Ami perched on his shoulders and gripping his hair in one hand while using her other one to nab at all the sushi on her father's plate.

" _What?_ " Souta asked innocently as Ami stole another piece off his plate and hummed in delight.

" _I think you have a fur problem._ " Akari said blandly and laughed when Ami gave her a mild glare while Kohaku laughed as well.

 **`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`A few hours later. `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`**

" _So your saying that your new foundling is an artificial hanyo, that was human and died before being revived by demon blood and that her human father is trying to get her back by claiming Blood?_ " Souta asked with a look of concern as he absently swirled his cup of tea.

" _But you won't let him because she was abused and he's also the reason she died the first time._ " Kohaku added with a scowl. Akari nodded her confirmation before looking over at Shippo and Masaru, the latter having convinced his older sister and brother to allow him in on the meeting.

" _That's not all. Joseph has a demon on his side. We think it's Kitsune, a murderer that terrorized the area years ago. Recently he killed majority of a family leaving one of the sons barely alive. He's still in a coma at the moment so no word on what he saw._ " Masaru told them and held up his phone when they all gave him confused looks. " _Nifty little things, aren't they?_ " He asked with a smirk as he waved the phone lazily.

" _Right, anyway. Dakota's in danger even without her father wanting her. The demon calls himself Aang, he said her blood will eventually kill her without a counter of some kind._ " Shippo went on adding in his bit and looking at the two men in front of him to see what they had to say.

" _We can set a trap for Kitsune and knowing Kagome she's most likely already healing the boy. The claim will be harder to deal with, but not impossible._ " Kohaku told them with a confident look before turning in surprise when Souta suddenly made a sound of realization.

" _I've got it! Akari, you and Shippo can take Dakota with you to Japan! Kohaku and I will stay here and destroy this guy. If he's dead-_ " Souta exclaimed and was joined by Shippo when the young Kitsune realized what he was getting at.

" _Then the claim is nulled! Plus, if Dakota is nowhere near here it'll give us time to destroy him!_ " Shippo exclaimed grinning as broadly as Souta as both high fived each other.

" _There's a problem with that though._ " Akari told them grimly, bursting the male's bubbles as she refilled their tea glasses. " _In this time it would look suspicious if the murderer or murderers suddenly turned up dead. They would be seen as victims instead of what they really are and we'd be endangering ourselves._ " Akari explained and watched as the triumphant air seemed to sink back into quiet concentration as everyone returned to their thoughts.

" _We could call a council. If all else, they would be able to pull enough strings so that we could avoid being seen as involved._ " Kohaku said after a few minutes and tensed, turning to the window that over looked the front of the property. Immediately the others tensed before a flash of white caught their eyes and InuYasha appeared from the tree line, a bit away from the road.

" _Looks like someone's getting the 'Inu Cure' tonight._ " Shippo said with a frown of disgust as Masaru groaned loudly.

" _That means fresh meat for the rest of us._ " Akari said with a shrug and a smile as she heard the sound of multiple feet running from random spots around the house and straight to the kitchen.

" _What about Dakota? If she is a hanyo, like you said, shouldn't she at least have an aura like one?_ " Kohaku asked, turning the conversation back to topic as he turned to Akari with a focused look. " _Blocked or not, the sense of something…off would at least show in some way._ " Kohaku told her and waited for an answer. Akari leaned back slightly, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to figure out something that she might have missed but nothing came to mind.

" _Nothing comes to mind._ " Akari told him after a few minutes in which InuYasha had come into the room with his hands stuffed into his old Robe of the Fire Rat and his charm gone.

" _InuYasha, the child Dakota. Is there anything that stands out as demon or does she seem completely human outside of the strands of yokia that come from her at random?_ " Kohaku asked, bowing his head respectfully before he had spoken while InuYasha and grunted at him before sitting down in a chair to think.

" _She's improved._ " InuYasha said after a minute and snorted at the looks of confusion on a few faces. " _She has fangs, small ones. Her reflexes have also gotten sharper along with her ears. Add in the way she tags after the twins and Akari and it's like watching a pup that's imprinted._ " InuYasha told them with a smirk and looked over at a slightly blushing Akari.

" _Even if she isn't loud about it, she does like you. A lot. If you won't take my word for it, take Izayoi's. The brat's been pushing Dakota and helping her a lot more than most of you seem to realize._ " InuYasha added and looked at Kohaku when he nodded and put his hands on his knees while bowing his head.

" _The twins are due for a growth spurt soon, right?_ " Souta asked in the quiet, a smile on his face as he moved them onto a different topic.

" _Yeah, an overdue one!_ " InuYasha muttered angrily causing the group to laugh at his pout while he glared at them.

" _They'll most likely grow when the first cold comes in._ " Souta reassured through his amusement. " _Speaking of, it is very warm for early November._ " Souta added, giving the older pups a curious look.

" _Supposedly it won't get cold until later in the month. Or so the story goes._ " Shippo told them happily helping to move them onto lighter topics, choosing to wait until Kagome was with them to move back to their original topic.

 **`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V. Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`**

"Think we'll go home?" Izayoi asked as she tossed an apple at me.

"Maybe," Keade shrugged as she stuffed the cleaned and wrapped meat into the fridge and shot a look to the skulking trio watching her. "Nobody is allowed to touch it. If any's gone then I'll catch you." Keade warned them and I smiled as Ami's ears flicked back and she hissed at her while Celt and Emily gave her innocent/puppy looks.

" _Akari and Shippo will probably go. It's almost time anyway._ " Keade said in Japanese and I frowned, trying to translate it on my own.

" _Time?_ What do you mean?" I asked, the word sounding garbled when I said it and I frowned slightly, the words were starting to become easier to hear but saying them was difficult.

"There's a fiasco back home involving a younger version of Akari being kidnapped in our time and used as a sacrifice in order to summon some big class demon from his realm." Izayoi explained while poking at an unidentified organ with a chopstick.

"Run that by me again 'cause I think you just lost me." I said, a bit of a Southern accent bleeding into my voice and making the younger pups laugh while Keade rolled her eyes and moved to sit down and motioned me to a seat.

"Okay, how much do you know about Mom and Dad and how they started adopting us?" Keade asked and I waited a minute before holding up my fingers in the shape of a zero.

"Okay, I think I'll leave the backstory bit to Shippo. He's got all the manga and can help you read them." Keade said and before she could go on, I interrupted her.

"Manga? Backstory? What?" I asked in absolute confusion and turned my attention to Celt as he bounced over to the bar and sat down on the other side of Keade while Izayoi took the seat next to me.

"Oh yeah! Mom and Dad told this awesome Mangaka their story and she drew and wrote it all down and it became this huge thing! And you should see it! Dad as an anime character is so cool! And Uncle Miroku is awesome! He's got this thing in his hand that's like a black hol-" Celt ranted, talking about it like I had seen some of the girls back at school talk about boys. Obsessively.

"I think she gets it." Keade interrupted him, thankfully and turned away from his pouting face to look at him. "Anyway! After Mom and Dad got together, they adopted Akari. Shippo had already been adopted, sort of. After Masaru was born, Uncle Souta appeared five hundred years in the past and told them the well had re-opened and he had been pushed down it by the Akari of that time. During his time traveling back and forth between the past and the present, Akari's heritage was found out and let's just say it wasn't pretty. Uncle Sesshomaru nearly lost his life, his honor, and his territory. For protection, Dad sent Mom, Akari, and Masaru to our time but that ended up being a bad idea because some guys from the past that lived till that time period managed to kidnap Mom. Akari kind of went MIA with Masaru but was found by her boyfriend's younger brother and was sent to Uncle Sesshomaru. After that she was kidnapped and the possession thing happened, but after that she went back down the well, a few years later Uncle Souta showed up. And that's that." Keade explained and I starred at her in a daze as I tried to process the tale she had told me.

"Did I miss anything?" Keade asked as I groaned and put my head down.

"You forgot to mention Kurama and the others." Celt spoke up and I lifted my head up just enough to glare at him.

"That's just a summoned up version. If you want Akari might tell you the extended version." Izayoi said blandly as I sat back up and crossed my arms, looking at them all as if they were crazy, which from my perspective they were.

"So you're telling me that there's a well you can time travel through and a kid version of Akari from five hundred years ago is coming to our time and this Akari has to go push a kid version of your Uncle down a well?" I asked in disbelief and watched as they gave me various nods of agreement. "Your insane." I stated and moved to get down and probably go outside but was stopped by Izayoi when she grabbed my shoulder and kept me in place.

"You believe we're all demons, that we've lived hundreds of years, but you don't believe we know a way to travel through time to go to the past." Izayoi said and I shrugged at her.

"Would you? I mean, the demon thing is obvious and it's not surprising that you'd live for forever. But time travel? That's science fiction." I told her and frowned when she looked over at Keade and shrugged.

"Okay, explain this. Mom was born in 1982, but she's been mated to Dad since the late 1500s. There are even records and stories about both of them. And before you say anything about fake documents, we can pull up school photos and call Grandma to send us pictures of Mom and Uncle Souta from when they were little and Mom also has friends that grew up with her that we can call." Izayoi told me and I shrugged part of me still didn't believe them but I didn't really feel like arguing with either of them at the moment.

"So what your Mom just decided to jump down a well one day and go to the past?" I asked for clarification and scowled when the twins laughed.

"Celt go get the books please." Keade said and Celt darted off before I could open my mouth to stop him.

"Mom actually got pulled down the well when she and Uncle Souta tried to get their cat from inside the well house. You should just read the books we've got, that way we don't confuse even more." Izayoi told me and I face palmed myself.

"Are they at least in English?" I asked reluctantly going along with them.

"I have no idea. But if all else fails you can use Akari's laptop to read an English version." Izayoi told me as Celt walked back into the kitchen with an arm load of small colorful books.

"This is going to take forever." I thought as Keade grabbed the first one and handed it to me.


	19. Chapter 19

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

* * *

...````````...

"What's up with Akari? She keeps looking at me like I've done something." I muttered to Izayoi as I looked back down at my bowl of stew after looking up to see Akari staring at me for the ump-tenth time.

"I was going to ask you." Izayoi said and darted her eyes over to said woman and darted her chopsticks over to Shippo's bowl, stealing a piece of raw red meat before the man could see.

"Ham please!" Emily said, her short arms reaching for the plate of raw meat that was lifted further out of her reach as her father, Kohaku placed a few pieces of the raw meat on her plate. I watched the interaction between her and her father, my eyes meeting her dark brown ones before I looked away again. "Arigato!" Emily said cutely as the conversations around her went on.

"Dakota, I want to talk with you. Alone." Akari said suddenly, making me tense up before giving her a nod to show I understood. "After you eat." She said when I made to stand up and leave the table. I looked up at her, trying to figure out by her body language if she was angry or upset with me before shrugging my shoulders.

"I'm not hungry." I told her and felt Izayoi's arm bump mine and I saw her give me an encouraging nod out of the corner of my eye as I followed Akari out of the dining room, leaving the room gratefully. "What is it?" I asked simply, shoving down the building fear in me as she seemed to hesitate before sighing and motioning me to follow her outside.

I shivered slightly as we stepped out into the surprisingly cool night, my eyes drawn up to the sky as I looked at the familiar constellations reflected back at me.

"Shippo and I are going to be leaving in a few days." Akari told me after a few minutes of silence. I jumped slightly, forgetting for a moment that she had been there and that I wasn't alone. I turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow at her, silently asking her for the point. Izayoi and Keade had already discussed she might be leaving earlier in the day.

"And I'm staying here." I said, trying to keep my voice neutral as I turned to look back out into the darkness past the vehicles parked at the edge of the light. For some reason, I felt hurt that I would be left behind. I didn't blame them though, I barely knew any Japanese and I would only be in the way while they tried to do anything. I'd rather stay here instead, I'd have Izayoi to hang out with and she could help me with those books they gave me.

"Do you want to?" Akari asked softly, walking up to stand beside me and lean against the porch railing like I was. "I won't stop you if you do." She added not looking at me as I watched her out of the corner of my eye.

"It's not like I can go." I muttered, folding my arms and hiding my clenched fists. "I don't know anything and it's not like I'd be any use. Besides don't you need a passport to go out of country?" I asked her, scowling slightly as I realized how troublesome it would all be.

"Yes, but getting a passport would be easy. And you wouldn't be the only person having trouble speaking the language. Most of our family and friends know English so communication wouldn't be a big deal." Akari told me making me frown and turn to look at her.

"What? Do you expect me to come with you?" I asked in disbelief and scoffed at the smile she gave me. "As if! Like I said, I'd be useless." I told her and glared at her when she rolled her eyes at me.

"While we're gone, InuYasha and the others are going to try and force Joseph out into the open. To keep you safe, I want you to come with us. Besides, I like sleeping with a cuddle bug." She told me with a smirk as I blushed and tried to argue with her. "Don't deny it. I know for a fact you've been awake a few times that you've cuddled into my side." She teased as she pulled me into a one arm hold. I tried to sputter a decent response but even I knew anything I said wouldn't be believed with how hot my face felt.

"Before we leave, Kohaku has offered to help us with drawing out your yokia. I told him it would only be alright if you agreed." Akari told me as we looked up at the sky, I took the chance to look at her, she seemed tired, as if she was being pulled down by something. Her eyes were a bit darker, and had small bags under them and even though she looked calm, I could see the little bits that said she was anything but.

"Whatever, I don't care." I muttered, looking away from her and biting my lip. "You okay?" I blurted out and felt my blush come back with a vengeance.

"You look tired." I mumbled at her confused face before pointedly looking away and crossing my arms. I heard Akari laugh under her breath before she pulled me into a tight hug, one that lifted me a bit off the ground and stunned me with how fast she had moved.

"Don't worry about me." She whispered in my ear before yawning loudly. " _Let's get some sleep._ " She told me in Japanese and it was only because I had heard Keade say it that I knew what Akari said as she walked off the porch.

"What're you?" I started before yelping in surprise when she switched her arms around to hold me with one arm under my knees and the other on my back. Before I could wrap my arms around her neck, she leapt up into the air and onto the roof, bowing slightly to one knee so she wouldn't slide off.

"Wait here, I'll grab a blanket from our room." Akari said softly as she sat me down against the wall between her window and what I assumed was Shippo's window. I nodded mutely, and folded my arms around myself as a cold breeze flew around us reminding me I only had a short sleeve T-shirt on.

Akari returned a few seconds later with a large quilt I didn't recognize and deftly wrapped it around us both. It took a few minutes, but with the blanket wrapped around us and sitting close to her, I felt myself relax a bit.

"The stars are amazing; don't you think?" Akari asked, her eyes trained on the night sky. "There's Orion's Belt, and both dippers too." She said, pointing out the only constellations I actually knew.

"When I was younger, every time we moved into a new house, I would paint my bedroom ceiling to look like the night sky. It would take forever, but I loved how it looked when I finished it." Akari told me and I blinked in surprise at her before focusing back on the sky, listening to her as she pointed out more constellations and telling me little stories that went with them.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Ohayo!" Kohaku greeted us as we walked into a small clearing near a low creek. I twitched slightly and slid a step back at his sudden appearance as he walked around a nearby tree and smiled at Akari and I.

"Ohayo, Kohaku! I thought you'd be here." Akari greeted back with a smile, waving at the older man as he stretched his arms above his head and shook himself. Like Akari, he was wearing a sleeveless shirt and loose fitting sweatpants. Where Akari's colors were royal blue for the top and navy blue for the bottom, Kohaku's was a dark forest green top and black pants. Unlike them though, I wore a long sleeve grey hoodie and a hand me down pair of faded brown sweatpants.

"Yes, it's a lot like back home." Kohaku told Akari with a laugh before nodding at me. "Dakota, I was hoping if it was still alright for me to be here and help you. I won't mind if you've changed your mind." He said calmly, his dark brown eyes looking me over as if looking for something as I crossed my arms.

"I don't care. It's not like anything's going to happen." I muttered and blinked in surprise as he closed his eyes with a smile and leaned back a bit. I watched him with unease as he nodded and started towards me. Even though I didn't know him, and had tried to avoid him and Souta, he had made a point to ask me if I was okay with him being there and had even offered me a way out, something I appreciated.

"Alright. Why don't you just sit down and we'll get started." Kohaku said calmly, moving to go sit at the base of a large boulder that was mostly of the nearby water. "For now, let's just focus on drawing out any energy you have. It doesn't matter what kind it is either." He added, giving me another friendly smile as I slowly walked over to sit to one of the trees closest to the rock.

"What now?" I asked as I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my arms around them. Akari had shown me different positions to meditate in, but all of them made me feel vulnerable so I choose to sit with my knees pulled up to my chest and my chin resting on them with my arms wrapped around my legs.

"Okay, now close your eyes and just focus on taking deep breaths." Kohaku said softly with his eyes already closed. I looked up at Akari, who gave me an encouraging smile before settling down to watch us. I sighed before closing my eyes and trying to do as Kohaku said.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` P.O.V Change `.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Kohaku could tell the girl was obviously uncomfortable. From the moment she had walked into the small area with Akari and seen him, she had stayed near Akari and kept her eyes mostly on him. And judging from her tense posture and the way she kept moving in place and how her eyes would peek open before snapping shut, she was still uncomfortable with him.

"It'll only take longer if you don't relax a bit." Kohaku said softly and smiled slightly when he heard Akari laugh softly while Dakota gave him a mild glare before she nodded and shifted in place, wrapping her arms around herself more tightly and closing her eyes again.

After a few minutes Dakota started to fidget in place, making Kohaku frown before pausing as he felt a very, very weak pulse of yokia. If he hadn't already been use to Akari's yokia and hadn't been feeling around him with his other senses he would have completely missed the pulse, as it was he was uncertain he had actually felt anything.

"I can't do it." Dakota whined, looking up and wiping her nose on her sleeve, frowning in disgust at the blood on it before folding her long sleeve away from her.

"Try again." Kohaku urged her gently and heard Akari cough loudly when Dakota started to argue. Seeing the look on the woman's face, Dakota slowly settled back down to try and find her energy causing Kohaku to mutter a soft thank you to Akari. It took a bit less time for another pulse to brush against Kohaku but the male Demon Slayer could feel it was stronger, not by much but enough to be more noticeable. He watched as Dakota tensed further when another pulse brushed against him and Akari.

" _Can she feel Akari's yokia?_ " Kohaku asked himself as the next pulse, this one even stronger hit him and Dakota seemed to shiver, a gasp coming from her. " _Is Akari's yokia being viewed as a threat to Dakota?_ " Kohaku asked himself as Dakota shook again, her arms falling to support her as she leaned to the side to support herself. Kohaku frowned in concern, even with Dakota now facing away from him, he could see the sweat on the back of her neck and her short hair standing up slightly.

"Stop." Kohaku ordered, feeling a twinge of guilt as he saw Dakota jerk forward as if she was going to be sick as her yokia built.

"I…Can't!" Dakota gasped, lifting her head to look at Kohaku in fear before falling to her side and curling into herself. By now the yokia had built to a point where her human body couldn't handle the pressure, if her blood didn't force a change she would either be burnt from the inside out or go insane. Kohaku hoped for a change even as he saw blood start to pour from her nose and her eyes become rimmed with red as Akari flickered past him and grabbed onto Dakota.

" _We need to get her to Kagome._ " Akari said with panic in her eyes as she turned to Kohaku as he joined her.

" _We won't have time._ " Kohaku said as Dakota's body spasmed and she arched up slightly in Akari's arms, red sightless eyes looking up at the clear sky as her mouth opened in a silent cry. Mixed with the still pulsing yokia coming from Dakota, Kohaku could feel Akari's yokia trying to smother Dakota's. He scowled, if she caused to much of a shift in power Dakota would be killed trying to overcome it unintentionally. Before Kohaku could say anything Dakota went limp and the pulsing yokia seemed to settle around them like a dark blanket of warning.

" _Drop her now!_ " Kohaku yelled, grabbing Dakota from Akari's arms and half dropping, half placing her on the ground. " _MOVE!_ " He yelled, grabbing Akari by the arm and dragging her away from Dakota before she could fight.

As Akari watched, Dakota started to move, pushing her arms under her before slowly pushing herself up. Akari opened her mouth to yell at Kohaku to release her but stopped when her eyes connected with a set of bright ruby red eyes that were watching her with a predatory gleam.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Dakota!" Akari yelled as Kohaku pulled her further away from Dakota as she released a yell of rage.

" _Akari stop! You can't get near her!_ " Kohaku told her, trying to keep her from running to Dakota as the girl started pulling at the sweater she had on before turning her hands to her skin, scratching at it until it drew blood.

" _Dakota needs me!_ " Akari snapped at him as she felt a new strong pulse of uncontrolled yokia. " _You know that kind of uncontrolled power can kill anyone without help!_ " She told him, turning to look at him with pleading eyes as he looked from her to Dakota as she screamed, her fingers clawing at her face as she writhed on the ground.

"Dakota!" Akari yelled, escaping her Uncle's arms and charging forward as Dakota turned and charged at a tree, slamming into it with enough force that the tree shook and Akari could hear bone break.

"Dakota listen to me!" Akari yelled at Dakota as she got back up and rammed herself back into the tree. "Dakota, I need you to calm down." She said, creeping closer as Dakota slowed down, her body shaking with harsh breaths.

"A…kar…I?" Dakota growled out in a rasp, turning her head slightly to look at Akari, as the older woman slowly approached her.

"Yeah, it's me." Akari said softly, hope filling her as she heard Dakota speak.

"A…kari." Dakota said again and Akari nodded, a laugh of relief escaping her as she came within reach of Dakota. "NO!" Dakota suddenly roared, making Akari flinch as Dakota shoved her away.

As Akari hit the ground, she looked up and into the normal strange hazel eyes of her Dakota. Before Akari could speak, Kohaku had slid in front of her and blocked her view of Dakota.

"Akari get back!" Kohaku ordered as Dakota scrambled back and hit the ground with her back to the tree she had previously been attacking.

"Kohaku no!" Akari yelled, trying to shove the man away as he moved closer to Dakota in an attempt to grab her and keep her from hurting herself further. When he moved Akari's eyes were caught by Dakota, she was staring at Kohaku with one eye it's normal color but surrounded by red while her other was hidden behind a bleeding hand. "Don't you dare hurt her!" She growled at him and, without looking at her, Kohaku nodded.

"I won't hurt her. I swear." He told her as he pulled something out from under his shirt. "Dakota, I'm going to put this around you. It'll keep you safe until we can get more help." Kohaku said softly, holding up a small bag of powdered herbs that had been blessed to be able to hold a demon in a set area.

"No! Stay away from me!" Dakota yelled, waving her free hand at Kohaku before she fell over herself in pain as a wave of yokia pulsed from her. Kohaku didn't wait, he immediately started to pour the small bag into a circle around Dakota. "Stay away!" Dakota screamed at them, using both her hands to push herself up to stand up. Akari gasped as she watched Dakota's left eye bleed while her right started to do the same, the red now completely covering both eyes.

With a snarl, Dakota charged at Kohaku, hitting him hard enough to make him stumble back and drop the bag in his hand. Akari flinched even as she moved to intercept Dakota, as the younger child screamed in absolute pain as the blessed powder fell on her bleeding face and hands, making them smoke.

"Dakota!" Akari yelled as Kohaku tried to grab her, probably hoping to get her into the water to wash the powder off as best as he could or at least minimize the effect.

"Grab her!" Kohaku yelled at Akari as he managed to wrap his hand around the hood of the hooded sweater she wore. Somehow he managed to pull Dakota against him and hold her for a few seconds before she seemed to go ballistic and started to attack him, clawing at anything she could reach on him as he struggled to hold her.

"Let her go!" Akari snapped at him, grabbing Dakota's wrist before she could make another swipe at Kohaku's face.

" _What?!_ " Kohaku snapped back in disbelief and confusion.

"Do it! She thinks your Joseph!" Akari told him and winced when Dakota turned on her, using a jagged and broken nail to scratch Akari's hand, luckily missing her face. Kohaku hesitated a minute before letting Dakota go, tripping her feet and knocking her off balance so Akari could grab her.

"Dakota, I'm taking you to the water. It'll help the burning." Akari grunted out as she forced Dakota's arms behind her back as she began pulling her towards the water. It took what seemed like an eternity for Akari to finally reach the water, she had expected Dakota to be stronger but at the same time it was still a struggle for Akari to keep her hold. Especially with Dakota pulling against her every step, there were literal burrows from where Akari had to drag Dakota to where they stood now.

"NO!" Dakota screamed, the scream changing to one of pain as one of her shoulders popped out of place forcing Akari to release one of her arms. Taking the chance, Akari twisted and pulled Dakota over her shoulder and into a fireman's hold, diving into the water with a small splash.

"Go get InuYasha and Shippo!" Akari yelled at Kohaki before she started moving out into deeper water, struggling more and more with Dakota as she did. "Dakota, listen to me. I want you to try and calm down. You're safe. It's just you and me." Akari whispered as she moved Dakota off of her shoulder and into her arms, holding the girl up at so that her head was out of the water but from the neck down she was submerged. Akari had one arm wrapped around her to keep her from drowning or fighting Akari while she was using the other to gently splash water onto her still smoking face. It took a while, long enough that Akari worried something had happened to Kohaku, before Dakota stopped struggling and just stared straight ahead with her red eyes.

" _Her shoulder needs to be popped back into place before it gets any worse. Oooh! I'm going to hate this!_ " Akari thought with a wince as she shifted in the cool water and gently grasped Dakota's injured shoulder, drawing a snarl from her.

"I need to fix your shoulder. It'll hurt but only for a few seconds." Akari warned her and noticed with some surprise that the red in Dakota's eyes was fading and that she could see the child's normal eyes beneath the red. "Ready? One…Two…" Before she said three Akari quickly popped the shoulder back into place and wrapped her arms around Dakota as she cried out and thrashed against her. Akari held her tightly until her struggles ceased and Dakota went completely limp, and her face hit the water. Immediately though Akari pulled her up and took a few steps back into shallow water. As she did her sharp ears caught the sound of people approaching and she turned to watch them as she climbed out of the water, holding Dakota in a more comfortable hold now that the girl was unconscious.

"Akari! _We came as fast as we could. Is she okay?_ " Kagome asked as she ran into the clearing with Kohaku and Shippo a step behind.

" _I don't know, I popped her shoulder back into place and then she passed out._ " Akari said as Kagome pushed Dakota's head slightly so she could feel her pulse while Shippo held a first aid kit out to her.

" _I'm going to need some my salve for purification burns, a cream for the cuts, and bandages. Akari, I need you to set her down so I can heal her._ " Kagome ordered while Shippo scrambled to find the desired items. Kohaku, meanwhile, circled around them with his eyes scanning the trees and his trusted scythe out and in his hand ready for action.

" _What happened?_ " Akari asked, looking at Kohaku as Kagome tended to Dakota.

"Joseph." Shippo spat in disgust, glaring at a roll of bandages as if he could set it on fire with a look. " _He showed up with that Aang guy and shot at Ami and Emily in order to 'get our attention.'_ " Shippo went on with a look of rage on his face as he tossed Kagome the bandages and stood up to help Kohaku keep the women safe.

" _What did that Thing want?_ " Akari growled angrily, her body coiled like an angry spring though she was running her hands through Dakota's hair gently.

" _Dakota, but this time he wanted the little ones as well after his friend mentioned they would sell for a good price._ " Kagome told her, her eyes ablaze with her own anger as she gently dabbed the mint blue salve on the burns on Dakota's face. " _If Souta hadn't retaliated with his own shots…_ " Kagome went on, stopping and closing her eyes to calm herself before continuing.

" _If Souta hadn't shot the gun out of Joseph's hand, then we might have lost the girls. They're okay, thank Kami but I'm going to be carrying Emily everywhere for a while. Just so I know she's okay. Anyway while we tried to get to Joseph and Aang, Keade called the police. They were arriving right as Shippo and I ran after the murder that killed the Coptons._ " Kohaku told her as he moved around them.

" _Ran after…? But does that mean-_ " Akari started but stopped when she saw Shippo nod.

" _Yeah, they got away again but that was before the police even got there. We were actually running after Kagome, she had grabbed her med kit and took off as soon as InuYasha said they were gone! Now the police are involved so that gives us an opening to call a council. As for the police, they'll be told a rough outline of what we know. They'll get Joseph's identity as the killer, Aang as a willing accomplice, and that he's tried to murder his own kid and that he's repeatedly attacked us. The last bit Kagome suggested we add in case we ever got the police involved._ " Shippo explained to Akari, who shook her head in disbelief.

" _But won't that drag Dakota into this mess?_ " She asked, looking down at the girl that now looked a bit like a mummy with the bandages on her face, hands, and left arm.

" _Not if she's in Japan. We'll tell them we'll supply a recording or something from our lawyer that he got from Dakota when she first came to us that explains everything Joseph did to her._ " Shippo said smugly and smirked when he saw the confusion in his sister's eyes. " _Souta was a lawyer for a little while, and he's offered to help. All we really need is for Dakota to make the recording or to write it all down._ " Shippo said with a shrug before returning to his post with Kohaku.

" _Let's get her back to the house._ " Kagome told the group as she packed up the kit and nodded at Akari to lift Dakota back up. " _We'll talk more there._ " Kagome said and, after checking the bandages one last time, fell behind Kohaku as they headed to the house on high alert.


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own InuYasha! Only the OCs! Reviews, criticisms, questions, or anything is welcome!**

 _Japanese_

English

 **Demon**

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"AKARI!" Dakota's voice screamed painfully as Akari spun around in the dark to run towards it. "NO!" Dakota screamed out as someone laughed followed by Dakota screaming out again in pain.

"DAKOTA!" Akari screamed, skidding to a halt as Joseph appeared in front of her with a crazy look in his eyes.

"Give me the girl." He demanded pointing a gun at her as Dakota screamed again.

"Move!" Akari snarled, charging towards him in hopes of knocking him down only to have to dodge as he fired at her. She was only on the ground for a second before she was on her feet and face to face with Aang. "Get out of my way!" She snarled in his face, moving one of her arms to punch him in the face only to realize they were chained behind her with sutras wrapped around the chains as reinforcements.

"Her blood will kill her, you know. Pity you couldn't save her." He said with mock concern as Akari snarled and fought against her chains, ignoring the pain as she pulled.

"Leave her alone!" Akari yelled as she heard Dakota scream again, her words garbled with sobs and cries for Akari and help. "I'll kill you!" She roared as she heard someone laugh at Dakota's pain, enjoying it as she screamed for mercy.

"Can you?" A new voice asked as Akari was suddenly released from the chains and sent stumbling a few steps. "Well can you?" The voice asked again with a touch of impatience. Akari looked up to see Dakota standing a few feet in front of her with a familiar tree at her back. Akari looked around in confusion, they were back at the clearing where Dakota had lost control.

"Dakota, you're okay." She breathed, relieved no matter where they were now that she could see Dakota was safe and whole.

"You didn't answer my question." Dakota said in a darker tone making Akari pause a few steps from Dakota.

"What?" Akari asked in confusion and backed away a step in shock as Dakota's eyes turned red and cuts started to appear all over her.

"Can you kill me?" Dakota asked, seeming oblivious to the blood running down her face as she stared unblinking at Akari. "I can kill you." She said after getting no answer from Akari. Without a sound, Dakota launched herself at Akari, attacking her with no reprieve, forcing the woman to either fight back to defend herself or be sliced to bits.

"Akari?" A much weaker voice asked as everything seemed to shift around Akari to where she now held Dakota by the throat and pinned the ground with one hand while the other laid buried in the girl's chest. Akari felt herself choke as she looked down into eyes filled with utter betrayal and confusion while warm blood oozed around her wrist.

"Oh my God," Akari choked out, removing her hands from the girl's throat and chest with fear and disgust at herself before trying to staunch the bleeding. "You're going to be okay. I swear-" Akari started but stopped when she felt bile rise up in her throat.

"You killed her." Akari heard someone say from behind her and looked back to see Joseph standing there with a smile. "Good job." He told her while walking over to kick Dakota's lifeless body. Akari felt herself falling, a scream climbing up her throat as she realized what she'd done.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

"Akari!" A sharp voice snapped right beside her ear as she fell and hit the floor with a jarring thud that stunned her for a few seconds. " _Good, I was afraid you wouldn't wake up._ " The voice said as they moved away from her, giving her time to collect herself as she recognized where she was and that it had all been a dream.

" _Dakota seems a bit better than yesterday, though she still has a bit of a fever_." Masaru said as he carefully removed the thermometer from Dakota's mouth and looked at it.

" _Masaru? What are you doing up?_ " Akari asked as she tiredly stood up and walked over to look at Dakota, heaving a sigh of relief when she saw the steady rise and fall of the girl's chest.

" _Bored now that I'm off bed rest. Shippo's outside with Kohaku, Souta's setting up stuff for the police, and Mom and Dad are dealing with the local council._ " Masaru said with a shrug as he turned his head to look at her. " _Bad dreams?_ " He asked sympathetically to which Akari only nodded, sitting down on the bed next to Dakota and running her hands through the girl's hair.

" _I dreamed, she was being tortured and I couldn't get to her. Then when I did, I killed her._ " Akari whispered with a haunted look on her face. Masaru didn't respond, instead moving around to grab a damp cloth that was resting next to a bowl of water. " _What if I do kill her? What if having her blood released kills her? It'll be my fault for suggesting the stupid thing to Kohaku._ " Akari asked with a touch of fear as she looked from Dakota to her hands with a look of self-loathing.

" _Do you really believe it?_ " Masaru asked quietly as he gently wiped Dakota's face with the damp cloth. " _You could never hurt her intentionally, that I can swear._ " Masaru promised her, turning his head to look at her, his eyes reflecting slightly in the dim light.

" _Suggesting Dakota's blood be tested may be your fault but having her hurt wasn't. None of us knew this would have happened._ " Masaru told her sternly and nodded when Akari nodded at him, though he could tell she still didn't fully believe him. " _Souta said he needed Dakota to give an account of what Joseph did to her. Do you think she'll do it?_ " Masaru asked, turning the subject to the sleeping child.

" _I don't know. She hasn't spoken of him or her childhood since she got here. If she finds out that we may be able to get him for this she might help, but she's hard-headed and scared when it comes to him. She may just close us off and run away._ " Akari told him honestly and shook her head. " _I want to think she'll tell us or at least make a recording in private, but she may not. He scares her more than anything, and that may keep her from saying anything._ " She said with a sigh, absently adjusting the blankets around Dakota.

" _Mom says she should wake up tomorrow, we'll ask her then._ " Masaru told her, resting his hand on her shoulder for a moment before walking out of the room to leave Akari to her thoughts.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

Dakota didn't wake up the next morning, well not until the twins, now standing the same height as Masaru, fell into Akari's room with Celt. Dakota woke with a low groan at the loud crash and tried to roll over and fall back asleep with her face buried into the teddy bear next to her, but with the twins giggling and whispering it was harder than it seemed.

"Dakota," Izayoi sang in a whisper right next to Dakota's ear. Dakota growled and tried to swat at her, missing badly and just letting her arm flop over her as she used the other to pull the bear closer. " _No wonder Akari said don't mess with her. She's adorable when she's asleep_." Izayoi laughed as she stood up and looked at her twin. Now that the two had hit their growth spurts, they looked closer to Akari and Masaru's ages and were very proud of that fact. Keade's eyes had lightened a bit, though they still had traces of Kagome's brown in them. Her dog ears now stood up much like InuYasha's and her hair had a bit more wave in it than before. She had also gained a bit of an hour glass figure and assets that were covered by the green hooded sweater Akari had worn when she first met Dakota. Izayoi on the other hand was happily wearing one of Masaru's muscle shirts and a smaller tank top underneath it. Izayoi, looked more like her father now that her hair was a bit past her shoulders. Her eyes had gotten a bit darker, and looked more like a warm gold than before, her ears stood up as well.

" _You better not be messing with her._ " Masaru warned as he walked into the room with a small cup of broth and a slightly larger cup of water that he set on the nearby nightstand. " _I just got Akari to leave her alone and get something to eat_." He told them with a playful whine as the twins and Celt gave each other looks.

" _It was Izayoi_." Keade and Celt said simultaneously making the white haired girl squawk in protest before her mouth was covered as a low growl came from the mound of blankets next to them.

" _Is she usually like that_ _?_ " Keade asked in confusion as she carefully pulled back a blanket to reveal a tuft of black brown hair sticking up out of the covers.

" _I don't think so_." Masaru said with a frown as he walked over to look at Dakota and gently pulled the blanket further back. Said child was curled up in a small ball with her face buried into the side of the large teddy bear. " _Someone should probably go get Akari. She'll kill us if she finds out we didn't tell her Dakota was awake._ " Masaru said as he watched Dakota's face scrunch up a bit and she started to yawn.

It wasn't even a minute after the trio had left that Akari appeared in the bedroom, her hand still holding a pair of chopsticks and a smear of what looked like teriyaki sauce on her cheek. Masaru grinned at her, as she blushed slightly and quickly dropped the chopsticks down next to the cup of broth. Not saying a word, Masaru nodded at her and quickly left before Dakota could wake up completely and notice him.

"Hey, Sleepyhead, how do you feel?" Akari asked softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed and gently brushed Dakota's hair out of her face.

"Hurts." She mumbled tiredly, her eyes slightly glazed with fever before they closed and tried to relax back into sleep.

"I know," Akari said in sympathy as she continued to gently run her fingers through Dakota's hair. "Do you think you could drink something? You've got a fever and you need to stay hydrated." Akari told her and watched as Dakota sluggishly rolled over and sat up. The girl was obviously miserable, that was easy to see, but Akari knew she had to keep Dakota awake for Kagome to come and look at her.

"Here, just take small sips." Akari said as she handed Dakota the cup of broth and watched her take a sip. Almost immediately, Dakota started coughing hard enough to drop the cup, somehow Akari caught it before all the contents could be dropped on the bed and easily set down on the nightstand before hesitantly grabbing Dakota and patting her back. Dakota weakly tried to push her away but gave up after a few hard coughs before slumping on to her side. "That bad, huh?" Akari said sympathetically and froze for a second when she saw tears in Dakota's eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Akari whispered as she carefully got in the bed and pulled a limp Dakota against her. "You're still burning up. Do you want me to get a cool cloth?" Akari asked already moving to do so when Dakota said something.

"What?" She asked softly and looked down at Dakota as said girl looked away from her.

"I wanna go home." Dakota cried softly, the tears falling from her eyes. "I just want out." Dakota told her weakly and Akari felt her heart break at the pain and longing in Dakota's voice.

"I'm sorry," Akari whispered to her, hating herself for not being able to help her with that. Dakota shook her head, rubbing at her eyes as her shoulders shook slightly with her suppressed cries.

"Don't be. 'S'not your fault." Dakota told her miserably, her eyes suddenly hard with anger. "It's mine for being me." She spat, and coughed again, her body jerking with the force of the coughs. Akari carefully helped Dakota sit up again and wordlessly passed her the cup from before.

"Why?" Dakota asked in a tired voice as she held the cup in her lap.

"Why what?" Akari asked as she pulled her desk chair over to sit by the bed like she done so long ago when she had first brought Dakota to her house.

"Why help me? Against J-joseph." Dakota asked through a cough. "You should've just let me go." She told Akari, looking at her with tired and helpless eyes that reminded Akari of someone who had suffered too much too quickly.

"I couldn't. You're too important to me." Akari told her with a small smile that dimmed when Dakota pulled away from her.

"Important." She spat back at Akari. "What makes me so damn important? First Joseph now you. If I'm so damn important, why do I get hurt?" Dakota asked with an accusing tone as Akari leaned back, her eyes wide in surprise at the outburst.

"That wasn't," Akari started only for Dakota to snarl at her, making the woman freeze as she saw the red at the edge of Dakota eyes and noticed the yokia that had built between them. "Dakota, calm down and let me explain." Akari said in a calm tone, holding her hands up and starring into Dakota's eyes, waiting for the girl to calm down.

"Why should I?" Dakota growled dangerously, the red growing in her eyes as the yokia swirled higher.

"Because I'll explain everything. About Joseph, about you, about me, everything." Akari said softly, keeping her hands up and her eyes on Dakota as she seemed to debate on Akari's words.

"Everything?" Dakota asked in a suspicious tone as the red drained away and she fell back against the pillows resting against the headboard.

"I swear it." Akari promised and felt her own self relax a bit as the angry yokia seemed to dissipate between them.

"Talk," Dakota demanded weakly and Akari felt a wave of pity as she looked at how pale and sweaty Dakota now was. The few seconds of yokia had literally drained the girl down to the point of exhaustion, any longer and Akari wasn't sure she wanted to know what would have happened.

" **She'd have died.** " Her inner demon whispered in the back of her mind as Akari moved to be more comfortable in her seat.

"First off, let me start with telling you my part. I never meant for you to get hurt. Ever. Kohaku was only helping me test your blood to see if we could help you control your demon side. I didn't want you to suddenly go full demon without something to help you, otherwise you could die. I don't want you dead because I care about you more than anything or anyone else. I see you as mine, Dakota, please understand, I NEVER wanted you to get hurt yesterday. If I could, I would go back and stop it from happening." Akari told her, basically pleading for the girl to believe her.

"So you love me? Like a girlfriend?" Dakota asked in disbelief and Akari couldn't help it, she laughed.

"No!" She told a suddenly angry looking Dakota, quickly getting her laughter under control. "No, I love you like you're my own child. Unfortunately, I'm in love with a red haired wolf, who you'll probably meet soon." Akari explained and laughed softly when Dakota slowly nodded her head at her.

"As for Joseph, he wants you because you are incredibly special and he sees you as a way to make money. If he can't get rid of you, he believes he can use you." Akari told her, moving back to their earlier topic and forcing herself to become serious. "When you were a baby you were killed because of his stupid choices." Akari went on but paused when Dakota spoke up softly.

"I know." She whispered, her eyes closed as she gripped the cup of now cool broth in her hands. "When I was little, my mom told me how she used some kind of magic with a demon's help to bring me back to life. But afterwards she said I started to steal her life because I was a demon in her real daughter's body." Dakota explained, her eyes now opened and filled with hurt and confusion.

"I'm sorry," Akari whispered and slowly wrapped her hand around Dakota's arm, offering silent comfort and support. "Is that why you freaked out when you saw the death certificate?" Akari asked and felt Dakota tense up again.

"Kind of, to me it was proof that I really wasn't Dakota Cohen. Every time I would try and prove I was, my mom would pull it out and shove it in my face that I wasn't me." Dakota whispered painfully before Akari could apologize for asking.

"Before we continue, I want to ask you something very important." Akari said, hating herself for doing this but knowing she really needed to. "Yesterday Joseph came here with a demon known as Aang. We told the police about Joseph," here Akari hesitated, not wanting to finish because she could already smell the fear on Dakota.

"They want you to tell them about Joseph, and what he's done to you." Akari finished painfully and quickly tightened her hold on Dakota's arm. "But you don't have to tell anyone face to face. You can write it down or record it! What I wanted to ask you is if you wanted to record it all now, so you never -and I do mean never- ever have to repeat it again?" Akari rushed through the words, biting her lip and trying to fight against the guilt in her stomach as she watched Dakota lift one shaking hand to cover part of her face. The room was silent for a few minutes, the only sounds actually being the two's breathing as they sat together. Eventually Dakota did respond, but it was only to nod her head and carefully take a sip of the broth.

"Will I have to repeat what I've already said?" Dakota asked in a dead tone that made Akari flinch as she moved to rummage through her things for the recorder Souta had already given her just in case.

"No." Akari told her as she finally found the small device and looked at Dakota guiltily. "I'm not saying you should lie to the police, but it's safer if you leave out that you have demon blood and that you did die at one point. Demons have managed to hide from humans safely for centuries, and if you were to reveal our existence…" Akari trailed off her guilt growing as Dakota nodded at her words but her face stayed covered.

"I'll never have to repeat it?" Dakota asked in a whisper not looking at Akari as she set the recorder down between them.

"Never." Akari promised and took a deep breath when Dakota nodded at her, allowing Akari to record her from that point on.

"What do I say?" Dakota asked softly, a lost look on her face as she dropped her hand and looked at Akari.

"Anything, what did Joseph do to you? Was he always abusive?" Akari asked softly, ignoring the recorder that rested between them and picked up their every word.

"No, he was fine for years. Whenever my mom would go crazy he would kind of shield me from it and distract her so I wouldn't have to see her. He used to go on trips all the time though but whenever he'd come back he'd have a gift for me and he'd tell me stories of the things he'd seen. When I was ten he started to get angry really easily and he wouldn't stop my mom from going crazy." Dakota said in a dull tone, her eyes distant as she remembered her younger years.

"What would happen?" Akari asked her, leaning forward a bit to rest her elbows on her knees and rest her chin on her hands.

"He'd yell a lot and lock me in my room. That's when he started calling me a monster. Whenever he'd leave on his trips I would sneak out of my room and take care of mom since that's when she started to stay in her room. It was okay enough for a few years then…Then he started to lash out physically." Dakota whispered and Akari felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she looked into Dakota's eyes and saw the emotions there.

"How old were you when that started?" Akari asked and Dakota shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know, fifteen or sixteen." Dakota told her and took a deep shaky breath. "It wasn't unusual for me to get bruises from running around in the woods on some of the worse days so whenever someone would ask me about them, I'd tell them it was from there." Dakota added and Akari gently grasped her hand, offering silent comfort.

"What about when I saw you? Your hand was broken and you were covered in bruises and you walked with a limp. Did he do that?" Akari asked, knowing that if Dakota said he had then they could get Joseph on charges of abuse with just that. "Dakota, I need you to tell me." Akari pleaded softly but Dakota looked torn and was biting her lip.

"Do you know why he did it?" Akari asked, knowing that he had even if Dakota wouldn't say it out loud.

"I…I don't know. Maybe it was because I screwed up supper or because I made my mom mad, all I know is that was one of the worst ever." Dakota said, tears running down her face as she took several shaky breaths.

"I know this is hard but I need to know one last thing. When I found you, you were covered in blood but most of the blood wasn't yours. Where did it come from?" Akari asked as she fought the desire to just pull Dakota into a hug and not let go.

"Jo-seph took me to a fight. He made me fight against someone for money. I don't remember much, just that he was already hurt when I was tossed into the fight." Dakota said in between harsh breaths that sounded more like sobs. "After that I woke up in the woods near my house and you found me." Dakota said a bit more calmly but Akari could see the pain in her eyes as she turned the recorder off and tossed it into the desk chair while she, herself, jumped into the bed and pulled Dakota into her arms. As soon as Akari wrapped her arms around Dakota, the girl broke down into sobs, saying different apologies between her cries as Akari shushed her and just rubbed her back, rocking slightly as she comforted the girl.

`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`

" _How are they?_ " InuYasha asked as Kagome made her way downstairs with her med kit in her hands.

" _Akari's torn up about what happened and Dakota seems to be recovering. Akari managed to get a recording though._ " Kagome said, pulling the small device out of her bag as she and InuYasha walked into the kitchen. " _Dakota still has a fever but her injuries are healing, the purification marks on her face are mostly gone and she doesn't seem to have any problems with her sight. She's having a bit of trouble breathing, the break in her arm is fully healed but her shoulder bothers her. I'll need to fix something for those._ " Kagome said, trailing off and muttering about different solutions she could possibly use as InuYasha watched her.

" _Kagome_ ," InuYasha said softly, folding his hands over hers to get her attention. " _How are they really? Akari wouldn't leave Dakota's side and from what Kohaku told me Dakota was attacking herself trying to destroy herself. That's not something you can just bounce back from._ " InuYasha told her and Kagome sighed a bit in response.

" _You're right, but there's not much I can say. Akari's obviously blaming herself for everything and Dakota seems to have started to emotionally shut down. I've told Akari to keep an eye on her, make sure nothing happens and if she can to help her talk it out. This isn't something that I can heal with my powers or medicine. The only thing I can think of that will help is keeping those two together so they help each other._ " Kagome told him, her eyes filled with the desire to help and pain knowing she really couldn't.

" _Alright, for now let's take care of what we can. I'll take this to Souta while you finish off the paper stuff he needs on Dakota's injuries from before. Afterwards we'll see what we can do._ " InuYasha told her, tossing the recorder up into the air before snatching it into his hands.

" _But the council said to leave it. If we-_ " Kagome started before InuYasha leaned over to silence her with a kiss.

" _When have I actually listened to a bunch of air headed bastards? This shit's personal, and I plan on fixing it._ " InuYasha whispered against her lips when they broke for air. Kagome smiled before kissing him again, this time both being forced apart by the sound of running footsteps and a crash in the doorway that told them they had some unwanted company.

" _Pups_!" InuYasha growled dangerously, turning to glare at the group of people in the doorway.

" _RUN_!" Masaru yelled, shoving his way past Souta as he walked up and leading Celt and the twins back outside.

" _Do I want to know?_ " Souta asked while Ami hoped off his back and took off after the running group. InuYasha groaned while Kagome buried her face in her hands.


End file.
